Survey confirms gang ties to drug purchases

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A study by Massey University shows Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay rank third highest region in the country for cannabis purchases from gang members, and seventh highest for the purchase of methamphetamine from gangs.

The New Zealand Drugs Trends Survey (NZDTS) was carried out for 2022/23 by the Drugs Research Team at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University’s Shore & Whāriki Research Centre.

The second release of findings from the survey shows increased levels of meth purchasing from gangs as well as the emergence of social media and “darknet” drug markets.

The online survey was completed by 13,026 New Zealanders from around the country between August 2022 and February 2023.

When it came to purchasing cannabis from gangs, Northland and Whanganui were highest on 29 percent,  Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay 25 percent and the Bay of Plenty 22 percent.

Northland (41 percent), Canterbury (39 percent), Tasman/Nelson and Marlborough (38 percent), Southland, West Coast and Wellington (36 percent), then Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay (32 percent) were the regions that showed the highest levels of methamphetamine purchasing from gang members.

The survey showed the rate of drug purchase on social media was on the rise.

Of the people surveyed, 17 percent in Wellington used that method, 15 percent in Canterbury and Otago, and 14 percent in the Gisborne/Hawke’sBay regions.

Facebook/Messenger, Snapchat and Instagram were the most commonly used forums.

Drugs Research Team leader Associate Professor Chris Wilkins said the higher level of gang selling of methamphetamine in the South Island may reflect gang market expansion strategies and the founding of so called 501 gangs.

“There have been reports of established North Island gangs expanding meth selling into the South Island to take advantage of higher meth prices and new market opportunities.

“At the same time, new chapters of international gangs have been formed by 501 deportees in the South Island who have drawn on their international networks to provide new sources of meth supply, challenging established groups,” Dr Wilkins said.

“The NZDTS found higher levels of cannabis purchasing from gangs and drug (tinny) houses in the East Coast region and in the central North Island.

“Cannabis markets are traditionally known for their low social impact, generally involving private transactions among people who know each other.

“In contrast, the sale of cannabis via gang-controlled ‘tinny’ houses increases the risk of victimisation and inter-gang violence, while also attracting adolescent buyers and increasing drug availability in vulnerable neighbourhoods,” he said.

Of those surveyed in Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay 12 percent reported some sort of “victimisation” by gangs during the drug purchase process.

The figure was marginally higher for Otago, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty at 14 percent.

“A significant minority of NZDTS respondents reported experiencing victimisation while purchasing drugs in the past six months, including receiving fake and unsafe drugs,” Dr Wilkins said.

Researcher Robin van der Sanden said the social media drug markets took advantage of the streamlined social networking and in-built platform/app features such as self-deleting messages and encryption to organise quick, convenient transactions between buyers and sellers in predominantly local drug markets completed via in-person pick up or delivery.

Dr Wilkins said a small group of respondents reported purchasing drug types like MDMA and psychedelics from encrypted darknet websites with cryptocurrency, like bitcoin.

“The emergence of New Zealand’s own darknet market Tor Market has likely facilitated more purchasing from domestic rather than international darknet vendors, thereby reducing the risk of mailed packages being intercepted by NZ Customs and the police.”