OFF THE WIRE
Visiting Australian motorcycle gang members have been welcomed by a booze bus in Christchurch.
Up to 100 Rebels were rumoured to have been heading south this weekend in a bid to attract members.
A witness told Newstalk ZB that police pulled over about 40 Rebel motorcycles and a number of cars belonging to the gang at the Northern Motorway just out of Christchurch this afternoon.
The source says there are at least eight police cars and a booze bus at the scene.
A police southern communications spokesman says checkpoints of that sort aren't unusual.
He would not confirm if it was a deliberate strategy to target the gang.
Member targeted
Police said in September that the Australian Rebel motorcycle club has been trying to gain a foothold in New Zealand. At the time they executed search warrants at addresses in New Plymouth, Otaki, Auckland and Northland, resulting in the arrest of 22 people.
Detective Inspector Chris Bensemann said the focus was "the continuation of our national focus on the Rebels gang and their continuing or ongoing recruitment of gang members".
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Police Minister Judith Collins said after the September arrests that she believed that the message would start to sink in.
"Sooner or later they'll realise that New Zealand is a very bad place to set themselves up," Collins said.
"Earlier this year they were sent a very strong message that New Zealand doesn't want overseas outlaw gangs coming here and that our police and law enforcement agencies will do everything they can to make them feel as unwelcome as possible."
The Rebels are Australia's biggest motorbike gang with nearly 4000 members and in February this year they told ONE News they were just a social group, riding motorbikes.
But Bensemann said the evidence clearly contradicts their statement.
