KEY POINTS:
A 14-year-old girl has had her 8-week-old baby taken into care after police raided a tinnie house during a gang crackdown in the Waikato yesterday.
The raids on Mongrel Mob members yesterday resulted in at least 28 arrests, including that of the local gang's "CEO" and "president".
Tagged Operation Forest, about 100 police staff were involved in the raids which targeted 36 properties throughout Hamilton, Auckland, Te Teko and Turangi.
Hamilton Police found more than $7000 in cash and about 37 "tinnies" at the Spenser Road house where the 14-year-old lived.
Detective Sergeant Karl Thornton likened the property to a "drug supermarket" and said yesterday's raid would have been no surprise for the occupants.
A man at woman at the house were arrested for the possession of cannabis for supply and selling in late August, and were charged under the same offences yesterday.
As well as their 14-year-old daughter's baby, two other children aged nine and 18-months were referred to Child Youth and Family. Police understand they were related to the adult couple, but not their own children.
The 14-year-old was also charged and referred to Youth Aid in August and was again interviewed by Police and referred to Youth Aid yesterday.
Mr Thornton said Police were dismayed people so young were being made victims by the illicit trade in drugs.
"No-one wants to see people so young and vulnerable caught up in events such as this," he said.
Waikato police detective senior sergeant Mike Whitehead said senior patched members of the Mongrel Mob had begun trickling through the court system from yesterday.
However, he conceded many of those charged would remain in the community for at least another year as they waited on a trial date.
The people arrested face a raft of charges, the most serious of which are conspiracy to supply methamphetamine and cannabis.
Arson charges are also likely, along with charges surrounding the possession of "high-end electronics".
The police inquiry centred on three months of electronic surveillance that included intercepted phone calls and text messages, Mr Whitehead said.
Police yesterday trumpeted who they had busted, rather than what they were caught with.
Mr Whitehead admitted there had been no large quantity of drugs seized but said that did not detract from the seriousness of the charges that would be brought.
Patched senior members of the gang had been arrested as well as the Waikato's self-styled Mongrel Mob "CEO" and "president".
More arrests were likely, he said. Once those arrested became known the community would realise they were the same people who had been presenting themselves as community-minded people, Mr Whitehead said.
Police seized nearly $20,000 in cash, televisions, computers, a "large amount" of animal health products and assorted household appliances.
"We've also recovered 10 radio scanners we believe were used to monitor Police radios," said Mr Whitehead.
"In addition 7 firearms have been seized including one military style semi automatic rifle."
