Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Operation Silk: Defendants in court after police raids targeting Mongols motorcycle gang

By Kiri Gillespie and Samantha Motion
Bay of Plenty Times·
24 Jun, 2020 06:02 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

More than a dozen people have appeared in court following police raids targeting the Mongols motorcycle gang. Photo / File

More than a dozen people have appeared in court following police raids targeting the Mongols motorcycle gang. Photo / File

More than a dozen people have appeared in court in Tauranga charged as part of a covert police operation targeting the Mongols motorcycle gang.

Police carried out raids in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato today and yesterday as part of the final phase of Operation Silk.

The long-running inquiry was organised by the National Organised Crime Group.

In a statement today, police said 18 search warrants had been carried out and 17 people, ranging in age from 19 to 66, faced 263 charges. Further arrests were anticipated.

In total, 13 guns had been seized, including an MP38 submachine gun and loaded AK47s.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mongols president Jim Thacker, vice-president Hone Ronaki and sergeant-at-arms Leon "the Wolf" Huritu appeared in the Tauranga District Court via audiovisual link and were denied bail.

Ronaki faced a range of charges including, participating in organised crime, supply or dealing of methamphetamine, possession for supply of methamphetamine, money laundering, unlawful possession of a firearm, and obstructs or perverts the course of justice.

As he left the dock he called out "love you" to supporters in the public gallery, which was reciprocated.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Thacker faced 11 charges including participating in organised crime, money laundering, supplying or dealing methamphetamine, aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Huritu's seven charges included participating in organised crime, money laundering, possessing methamphetamine for supply and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Discover more

Power pole blocks part of State Highway 30 near Te Teko

24 Jun 05:54 PM

Person critically injured in Te Puke crash

24 Jun 07:04 PM

The weird and wonderful: How Tauranga people are spreading ashes in 2020

26 Jun 08:38 PM

$2.5m 'turbo boost' for Whakatāne to create jobs

25 Jun 11:00 PM

Frederick Whare, who faced drug, gun, money laundering and organised crime charges, was also remanded in custody.

Today, three more defendants were remanded in custody after appearing in the same court: Yasmin Rose Patten, Timiwaata Hare Wiremu and Te Reneti Brook Tarau.

Tarau, 20, of Te Puke, was charged with conspiring to supply methamphetamine as well as possessing and supplying methamphetamine, and participating in organised crime.

He was denied bail. He was escorted out of the courtroom shouting obscenities and accusations of racism at the judge and police. He also called out "I love you" to people in the public gallery.

Patten, 33, of Whakamarama was also denied bail. She was charged with supplying methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as possessing methamphetamine for supply.

Wiremu, 39, of Rotorua, faced 12 charges, including supplying and possessing for supply methamphetamine, cocaine and LSD, as well as conspiring to supply methamphetamine.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Elijah David Eruera Wanoa, 24, of Whakatāne, was remanded on bail on Wednesday. He was charged with participating in organised crime. Wanoa was already on bail for two previous firearms offences - both denied - which the Crown sought to link with the Operation Silk charge.

Seven other defendants who appeared on Tuesday were released on bail.

Kane Ronaki was charged with participating in organised crime and three charges of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Chavei Smith was charged with participating in organised crime, supply and possession for supply of methamphetamine, possession or selling of prohibited firearms, and two charges of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Falcon-Reign Smith was charged with participating in organised crime and three charges of unlawful possession of a firearm. Iritana Wanoa faced a single charge of engaging in money laundering.

Paula Wanoa faced two charges of engaging in money laundering, four of possession for supply of cannabis, two of selling or supply of cannabis, one of conspiring to deal cannabis and one of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Wairaka Whare was charged with supply or dealing of methamphetamine, conspiring to deal methamphetamine and possession for supply of methamphetamine.

Charlene Williams faced seven charges of supply or dealing methamphetamine and eight charges of possession for supply of methamphetamine.

All defendants were scheduled to reappear in court on August 24.

Todaypolice continued to appeal for information about the whereabouts of senior Mongols member Brodie Collins-Haskins of Auckland, who is facing several charges.

Detective Superintendent Greg Williams said he "could be anywhere".

The Australian national, 26, should not be approached by members of the public.

"Our view would be if you see him or observe him please contact your local police," Williams said.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

SH2 bridge replacement scrapped despite road damaging new tyres

14 May 01:15 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Coromandel baches for under $1m - entry-level holiday homes dropping in price

14 May 12:59 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Long-serving regional councillor resigns

14 May 12:31 AM

Connected workers are safer workers 

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

SH2 bridge replacement scrapped despite road damaging new tyres

SH2 bridge replacement scrapped despite road damaging new tyres

14 May 01:15 AM

The Pekatahi Bridge's surface chews up brand new tyres, causing frustration.

Coromandel baches for under $1m - entry-level holiday homes dropping in price

Coromandel baches for under $1m - entry-level holiday homes dropping in price

14 May 12:59 AM
Long-serving regional councillor resigns

Long-serving regional councillor resigns

14 May 12:31 AM
Team NZ name Burling's replacement and core sailors

Team NZ name Burling's replacement and core sailors

14 May 12:03 AM
The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head
sponsored

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP