Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • 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

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

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

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • 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 / Hawkes Bay Today

$2.75m Mongrel Mob meth rehab funding approved after proposal argued crime and gang suicides would drop

Hawkes Bay Today
31 Aug, 2021 02:47 AM3 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

Participants and supporters of Kahukura, a drug rehabilitation programme run at Tapairu Marae, near Waipawa, haka in Heretaunga St, Hastings, in support of a social agency. Photo / Facebook

Participants and supporters of Kahukura, a drug rehabilitation programme run at Tapairu Marae, near Waipawa, haka in Heretaunga St, Hastings, in support of a social agency. Photo / Facebook

A meth rehab programme for Mongrel Mob members has been approved after the applicant argued it would combat a rising number of gang homicides and suicides, and help reduce organised crime.

Details of the H2R Research and Consulting Ltd proposal have been released by the Ministry of Justice.

Kahukura is a meth rehab programme for Mongrel Mob members which received $2.75 million from the Proceeds of Crime Fund.

It is based at Tapairu Marae, outside Waipawa, and involves Sonny Smith, a Mongrel Mob leader who lives in the area, and his wife Mahinaarangi Smith.

Following a successful pilot run independently last year, an initial proposal sought a total of $1.9m ($640,000 per year, over three years), for up to six eight-week programmes.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A more detailed proposal increased this to $2.75m in funding over four years to deliver the programme aimed at addressing methamphetamine (meth) dependency and trauma recovery.

It stated that since the end of the Notorious and Salvation Army Hauora rehabilitation programme in 2017, there had been a "noticeable increase in homicides and suicides" in the Chaindogs, a cluster of Mongrel Mob chapters with a common affiliation to the Notorious chapter in Hawke's Bay.

Between 2018 and 2019, there were seven deaths among Chaindogs members, representing about 18 per cent of suicides in Hawke's Bay.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

These homicides and suicides were driven by meth addiction and intergenerational trauma, the proposal stated.

The funding was sought to expand a meth rehabilitation initiative that was piloted in Hawke's Bay late last year, in which 10 men from various Mob chapters showed 100 per cent drug pass results and increased court compliance.

Harry Tam, one of the directors of H2R Research and Consulting Ltd, is a lifelong member of the Mongrel Mob. Photo / RNZ
Harry Tam, one of the directors of H2R Research and Consulting Ltd, is a lifelong member of the Mongrel Mob. Photo / RNZ

The proposal argued that organised crime would reduce, as "this (gang) chapter has strong leadership that recognises the harm that methamphetamine has caused in the community and is motivated to support members to address their addictions".

"Reducing demand will reduce supply."

Discover more

New Zealand

Police officer 'assaulted' as two arrested over alleged shoplifting in Napier

31 Aug 02:24 AM
New Zealand

Swimmer comes forward after sparking search

30 Aug 11:14 PM
New Zealand

Vaccine event: 117 bumped from appointment in CHB due to social distancing concerns

31 Aug 12:07 AM

It noted that police raids earlier in the year had also already disrupted meth supply in the region.

Kahukura would provide an opportunity to test "Māori designed, developed and delivered innovations" as a solution created by an otherwise hard to reach community.

"It utilises a combination of Māori healing and western therapeutic practices within a marae setting."

The proposal had support from several organisations including Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea, Ministry of Social Development and police - senior members of which were reported to have attended last year's pilot graduation.

A report from the Proceeds of Crime Panel addressed to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, as well as ministers Grant Robertson and Chris Faafoi - who signed off on the decision - noted it would involve partnerships with "people actively involved in gangs".

"The panel recognises that funding gangs is controversial but sees a strong gap and need to be addressed through the programmes recommended for funding.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The programmes will support gang members to build stronger connections to support services and provide opportunities for change."

The panel found it met all four criteria for funding from Proceeds of Crime Fund and recommended the full $2.75m funding be approved.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

How new speed limits are making Hastings schools safer

Hawkes Bay Today

Heavy rain watch north of Napier, potential to be upgraded to warning

Hawkes Bay Today

Four crashes in Hawke’s Bay send four to hospital


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

How new speed limits are making Hastings schools safer
Hawkes Bay Today

How new speed limits are making Hastings schools safer

The changes are part of Hastings' early rollout of lower speed limits.

16 Jul 03:49 AM
Heavy rain watch north of Napier, potential to be upgraded to warning
Hawkes Bay Today

Heavy rain watch north of Napier, potential to be upgraded to warning

16 Jul 01:20 AM
Four crashes in Hawke’s Bay send four to hospital
Hawkes Bay Today

Four crashes in Hawke’s Bay send four to hospital

15 Jul 11:58 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
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
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP