Gunning for the Hells Angels gang

Police uncover haul of weapons in gang raid

(normal Kiwi Household! from my memory..!)

STEVE HOPKINS

Police have released a picture of the haul of guns and ammunition they confiscated following a raid on the Auckland headquarters of the Hells Angels gang yesterday and have made further arrests.

The haul included a Saiga 12 gague shotgun, a Gaucha-1GA shotgun, a Interarms .223 rfile, a Stirling 14p. 22 rifle, a Ruger .22 rifle, a .36 pistol and 250 rounds of 12 gague shotgun ammunition.

Initially police arrested five gangs members and four of their associates, but those netted in the sting now total 12.

Police seized a total of six guns from the men and charged them with intentional damage, commission of a crime while in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm except for some lawful, proper and sufficient purpose.

The charges relate to alleged illegal hunting activities in the Woodhill state forest at night, without permits and without firearms licences, over the past year.

Detective Inspector Grant Wormald said the forest was a reserve used by trampers, mountain bikers and recreational hunters with strict safety rules.

"Hunting is only allowed through a carefully managed ballot system in an area cleared of people for a short period each year.

"Other than that nobody should be in there at all with a firearm,'' he said.

"We don't have to look too far back in time to remember the tragic fatal shooting of a young woman in a recreational forest near Turangi as a result of someone hunting illegally at night".

Warrants were also executed in New Plymouth, as a result of the investigation, including at the Magogs Headquarters in Ngamotu

One man was arrested.

Wormald said yesterday's operation was a continuation of the work done by Organised Financial Crime Agency of New Zealand and police, in conjunction with other agencies, to disrupt a wide-range of criminal activities by the Hells Angels over the past two and a half years.

He said a number of Hells Angels members from across New Zealand have been prosecuted or are now on active charges ranging from possession and supply of methamphetamine to robbery, burglary and extortion.

Arrests have been made in Auckland, Napier, Tauranga and Nelson, where an under-cover operation earlier this year put an end to feeder gang the Red Devils.

"Our goal is to investigate the crimes they are committing and disrupt their activities to the extent that it's very hard for them to operate at all," Wormald said.

Some of the accused appeared in the North Shore District Court yesterday while others are expected to appear today.

- Auckland Now