tvnz.co.nz
Police expect to make more arrests in a crackdown on criminal gangs.
More than 40 search warrants were executed yesterday at addresses in Palmerston North, Feilding, Levin, Foxton, Otaki, Whanganui, Murupara, Hamilton, Auckland and Northland.
Police said they had "ripped the welcome mat out" from under the Rebels motorcycle gang and other criminal gangs.
At least 100 police officers across five policing districts were involved in a coordinated major operation focused on gangs, methamphetamine and organised crime.
A total of 30 people were arrested with police seizing 29 vehicles, including BMWs, Mercedes and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, more than $120,000 in cash, firearms, gang patches, cannabis and methamphetamine.
Some of those arrested have already appeared in court in Hamilton, Rotorua, Wanganui and Palmerston North.
A clan lab was located in Murupara and records of a Palmerston North finance company have been seized and that company is now under investigation.
The operation was the culmination of several months of covert policing.
Police said the sting had exposed what was believed to be an organised and large scale methamphetamine distribution network.
The operation has produced evidence of inter-gang co-operation to conduct illegal business, and the increased presence of the Rebels gang in New Zealand.
Police will not name the other gangs involved.
Detective Inspector Chris Bensemann said at a media conference yesterday it had "struck a blow to the bowel" of the Rebels in New Zealand.
"They're [the Rebels] new to New Zealand, we saw this on the horizon, that they wanted to come here and make money out of criminal business and that other gangs were involved."
"I'll be optimistic to say that this will be the end of the Rebels in New Zealand."
"They won't be tolerated, their presence won't be tolerated, we're not going to accept that they're just going to float over and patch people willy-nilly."
The Rebels are Australia's biggest outlaw biking gang.
Bensemann said the majority of people involved in producing and dealing methamphetamine were drawing WINZ benefits and "squeezing the taxpayer dry" while making huge amounts of money.
"They are peddling misery in our communities, feeding addiction, and forcing children to live lives exposed to toxic chemicals. The cost to society in terms of health, education, employment and the like is extortionate."
He said the operation had suffocated the supply of methamphetamine in the Central District. Police will not name the other gangs involved.
Police Minister Judith Collins said at the media conference the government had given the police the full go-ahead before the operation.
"They're delivering exactly what the people of NZ want," Collins said.
She said the number of gangs involved shows they are putting aside their differences and "working together in what is a highly lucrative, but evil drugs franchise".
