Gang patch ban: Who are the Damned Pirates, Fitus and H-Town 07, subject to the new law?

You’ve heard of the Mongrel Mob, Head Hunters and Black Power. But what about the Damned Pirates, Fitus and H-Town 07, also subject to the new law banning the display of gang insignia in public? To shed new light on the more obscure groups subject to the ban, the Herald has obtained police intelligence files revealing what cops know about these little-known gangs. George Block reports.

When it came into force in November, the Gangs Act 2024 banned the public display of the insignia of 35 of what the police said were organised criminal groups.

That number is soon set to grow to 37 after the first list missed a couple of gangs, notably the Bloods, whose absence from the list was made even more pronounced by the inclusion of their sworn rivals, the Crips, as revealed by the Herald this month.

The list includes all the big names in the Kiwi gang scene. Everyone from your old-school outlaw bikers like the Hells Angels, Highway 61 and Satans Slaves, to the late arrivals who have brought a new sophistication to the underworld, such as the Comancheros.

Police said for a gang to be included in the list, it must have a common name or identifying signs or symbols, be active in New Zealand and have members or associates who have been convicted of an offence carrying a maximum possible prison term of two years or more in the past five years.

As a result, some older and less-active or defunct gangs, previously listed in 2013 legislation banning insignia from government buildings, are not listed in the new law, like Tokoroa’s Hu-Hu MC, the defunct Lost Breed MC formerly of Nelson, Upper Hutt’s Sinn Fein MC and the Southern Vikings.

But the list in the latest Schedule 2 of the new law included a few groups with names less familiar to the public, such as the Damned Pirates, Fitus, H-Town 07 and the Kuki Squad.

Following an Official Information Act request, the Herald obtained and summarised intelligence reports from the police Gang Harm Insights Centre revealing the history of some of the more obscure gangs subject to the ban, plus details on their patch or colours.

Sections of the intelligence reports are redacted, including information on the relative strength of the gangs. Police cited both the privacy provisions of the Official Information Act to justify withholding the information, and a section that allows information to be withheld to prevent prejudicing the maintenance of law.

Damned Pirates

Police say the Damned Pirates is a relatively new gang based in Canterbury formed by three Tribesmen who left that gang after “internal conflict”.

“While originally believed to be a largely disorganised group, the gang is now more structured and has implemented members’ fees, adopted common identifiers, and has regular ‘church’ meetings,” an intelligence report says.

They have adopted black and white as their colours.

“The gang does not wear the traditional three-piece patch, but does have a ‘patch’ similar to those of other gangs. This is based upon a skull and crossbones with Damned as the top rocker and Pirates as the bottom rocker.”

Members have been seen sporting Damned Pirates tattoos and using a hand sign formed by the extension of the thumb and the two outermost fingers, the police intel report says.

The insignia of Christchurch's Damned Pirates gang as it apperaed in police intelligence files obtained by the Herald.

Fitus

A street gang that first came to police attention in late 2022. Intelligence reports show police believe the acronym stands for “Forever Imperial To Ur Society” while “fitu” is also the Tongan word for seven.

“They are believed to have been formed as a street gang in the Auckland suburb of Ōtahuhu and the founding members were previously members or associates of local Bloods and Crips sets. Fitus has close ties with Rebels MC and Crips in South Auckland.”

Fitus members don’t wear a patch, but their colours resemble traditional outlaw motorcycle gang insignia, a police intel report says.

The top rocker of the patch is Fitus while the lower rocker is Famlia, with the colours centring on a G, being the seventh letter of the alphabet.

Soldier Huntley, the teenager who pleaded guilty last year to murdering Taeao Ola amid a crowd of Samoa fans during a Rugby League World Cup celebration, was a member of Fitus.

Huntley filmed himself laughing as he posed with the knife he used to kill Ola, saying “You don’t f*** around in the hood aye, this is what happens. Mate Ma’a, f***ing Ota-Blue and s***.” Police later found rap lyrics on his phone boasting of killing a Samoan.

An image of the Fitus logo that appears in the police intelligence report on the gang. The "276" refers to the Ōtāhuhu area code, as does "OtaBlue", with the blue referring to the colour favoured by the Crips and affiliated gangs - as does "We Steady Crippin".

H-Town 07

Like Fitus, H-Town 07 is very much a street gang and members do not wear a traditional patch. As its name and number (referring to the Waikato area code) suggest, it is based in Hamilton.

Police believe it was established in 2020.

“For much of its existence, the gang appears to have been typical of the street/youth gang type and was largely disorganised with no clear hierarchy or structure,” an intelligence report says.

“They are believed to have targeted youth in particular for recruitment, and youth justice facilities appear to have been significant locations for recruitment of new members and associates. The majority of the gang’s validated members are aged 20 or younger, with approximately half aged between 18 and 20.”

Like other street gangs, they do not wear a traditional three-piece patch.

“Membership is identified through tattoos, particularly the tattooing of 07 on the hand or face. It is believed that this tattoo is the equivalent of a patch for this gang.”

The insignia of the H-Town 07 Hamilton street gang as shared on Instagram and as it appears in the files of the Gang Harm Insights Centre.

Kuki Squad

The Kuki Squad is more well established and not nearly as obscure as the other groups on this list, in part thanks to some of its members posting music or rugby videos on social media site TikTok, and the appearance of some older Kuki Squad members at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care hui.

Police believe it was formed in Tokoroa in 2007, and made up of people of Cook Islands descent.

“Members of the Kuki Squad claim the gang was initially established as a small cultural group who did not have a large following,” an intelligence report says.

“Kuki Squad have adopted the three-piece leather patch with an elaborate design depicting the green-and-yellow colours of the Cook Islands and a logo featuring a statue of Tangaroa surrounded by 15 stars to represent the 15 islands of the Cook Islands.”

Members of the Kuki Suqad add side rockers and badges denoting their familial affiliation to one or more of the Cook Islands.

“Senior office holders appear to have different stitching to normal patched members and the leader is the only one who can wear the ‘white’ patch. There are various versions of the patch. Some senior members have the words ‘Mutukore’ as the bottom rocker on their patch (’Forever’ in Cook Islands Māori).

“Members and supporters use a hand sign where the index and little fingers are contorted out, with the middle and ring fingers tucked in, resembling the letter K.”

The Kuki Squad patch uses stars to denote the 15 Cook Islands.