Men with Mongrel Mob tattoos on the street near Huria Marae in Judea, Tauranga. Photo / Tom Eley
Men with Mongrel Mob tattoos on the street near Huria Marae in Judea, Tauranga. Photo / Tom Eley
Police have arrested six people in Tauranga for alleged breaches of the gang patch ban while monitoring tangi held for a prominent Mongrel Mob member and his partner.
A police spokeswoman said they were among 14 arrests during the funeral operation, which started earlier this week and is expected to continue on Friday.
Police from as far afield as Christchurch had been brought in to support local staff.
There was a heavy police presence around three Tauranga suburbs on Thursday as tangi were believed to be held for Wayne George Kelly, known as Ned Kelly, and his partner, who died shortly after he did.
It is understood Kelly’s tangi was at Matapihi and his partner’s was at Huria Marae in Judea.
On the street in Judea, many people wore red and some men took off their shirts, displaying their gang tattoos - which are not affected by the new Gangs Act 2024.
A man who identified himself as whānau told SunLive in Judea that the tangi for his aunty had been peaceful, with no gang patches worn.
Men with Mongrel Mob tattoos on the street near Huria Marae in Judea, Tauranga. Photo / Tom Eley
Kelly was taken to Pyes Pā Memorial Park following his service.
Bay of Plenty Police district commander Superintendent Tim Anderson spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times outside the memorial park.
He said at least one person had been arrested after police allegedly found two sawn-off shotguns and ammunition inside a vehicle of Waikato Mongrel Mob members travelling to the tangi.
There had been three arrests on Thursday in relation to the gang patches law, which Anderson said was “outstanding”. He said those people were “on the periphery” and most people passing through the checkpoints police set up had been compliant.
Police monitoring the activities of people attending the tangi for Mongrel Mob captain Ned Kelly in Matapihi on Thursday. Photo / NZ Police
”We as police absolutely respect that people need to grieve for their loved ones but, like the rest of the community, they need to do that in a dignified manner and not break the law like we have seen in the last four or five years with tangi involving gang members.
”Our past history with gang tangi is that they’ve never gone well.”
Anderson referenced a Black Power tangi in Whakatāne last year at which 15 people were arrested and weapons, including guns, were seized.
He said other community members should not have to put up with behaviour such as dangerous driving, burnouts and general anti-social behaviour.
Men with gang tattoos pose on the street outside Huria Marae in Judea, Tauranga today.
He said police had “significant numbers” on the ground in Tauranga on Wednesday and Thursday, and this would continue on Friday. Officers from around New Zealand had travelled to Tauranga, some from as far away as Christchurch.
“We have our gang disruption unit that started two or three weeks ago and they’ve been working across the Bay of Plenty and making a significant difference already in using the new legislation.
”The new legislation has given us a tool to engage with people breaking the law and deal with it in a pragmatic fashion.”
He previously said police monitoring the movements of gang members and associates across Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty on Wednesday found most displayed good judgment.
“However, police did arrest three Mongrel Mob members, two aged 32 and one aged 31, who didn’t get the message and were charged for wearing various items of clothing displaying Mongrel Mob insignia,” Anderson said.
There was a large police presence at Matapihi on Thursday. Photo / Sandra Conchie
A 32-year-old patched East Side member was arrested on unrelated charges of shoplifting and three motorbikes were seized after allegedly being used to disrupt traffic and block roads across Tauranga.
Police also arrested a 30-year-old driver and seized their vehicle after they were allegedly seen driving dangerously on Owens Place about 9am Thursday.
Kuia confronts police
A feisty kuia confronted police at Matapihi, yelling at them for parking outside a cemetery.
In a video posted to social media, the distressed woman can be heard shouting; “Someone in charge come and tell me why you’re parked outside my cemetery where my people are buried”.
”How disgraceful is that?” she continued. ”Go park up the bloody road. I buried my cousin there on Saturday.”
Police appeared to ignore the woman’s demands at first, but RNZ reported they later agreed with the woman and moved the checkpoint about 300m down the road.
Men pose outside a gang-connected funeral in Judea, Tauranga today.
A large convoy of police vehicles left Matapihi mid-morning on Thursday. A police helicopter circled the area before flying off towards the city.
Two Matapihi Rd residents who did not want to be named said police set up a cordon at 9am on Wednesday and had been stopping vehicles.
The 20 to 50 officers present yesterday grew to “perhaps as many as 200″ on Friday, supported by the Eagle helicopter.
There were so many police vehicles, including paddy wagons, vans, trucks, and unmarked vehicles, that the couple struggled to leave their home.
Some of the people who were stopped verbally abused police and were videoing and photographing them. The couple said they were in support of police ensuring there was order where people were wearing gang patches.
Some of the huge police presence in Matapihi during the tangi for Mongrel Mob gang member Wayne Kelly aka Ned Kelly. Photo / NZ Police
