Gang Crackdown: Māori leaders push back on police tactics, rhetoric over Mongrel Mob raids

A Mongrel Mob funeral procession.

Iwi leader Willie Te Aho has slammed police tactics for the trauma left on children having to watch their parents arrested after orchestrated raids on Mongrel Mob homes in Auckland, Taupo, Wellington and Bay of Plenty resulted in 28 arrests and 99 drugs charges.

On Tuesday, October 22, police executed multiple search warrants across the North Island.

Māori community leaders Te Aho and Tame Iti attended a meeting in Ōpōtiki, the Eastern Bay of Plenty town, where locals outlined issues caused by the police raids where mokopuna were forced to watch as whānau were arrested by armed police.

Willie Te Aho.

“No more will we tolerate this.”

“I do not agree with the combined political and NZ Police Head Office approach to last Tuesday in Ōpōtiki,” Te Whanau ā Apanui lead negotiator Te Aho said.

“There was no engagement before or after by the NZ Police with Whakatohea – a Tiriti o Waitangi partner to the Crown of which the NZ Police is a part.

“Nor do I agree with how politicians have framed their view of Ōpōtiki. We have a positive view of Ōpōtiki and the Eastern Bay of Plenty as a whole.”

Police Minister Mark Mitchell during Question Time in Parliament earlier this month. Photo / NZME

Police Minister Mark Mitchell has been extremely vocal on Ōpōtiki who he says has been held to ransom by gang activity.

Police have also rejected Te Aho’s innuendo.

“Iwi leadership across Whakatōhea have previously told us that they are very appreciative of this recent operation, in which police have prevented the extremely harmful supply of methamphetamine into Ōpōtiki from these alleged offenders, therefore ensuring the health and wellbeing of their mokopuna is improved,” a police spokesperson told the Herald.

“For operational reasons, police do not give advance notice to anyone of intentions to execute search warrants and/or arrest warrants.

“Police staff will be meeting with key iwi members this morning to discuss the matter further.”

Te Aho is unapologetic.

“I was in Ōpōtiki during the tangi that politicians have complained of. Contrary to their view as people who were not there at the time, it was business as usual. People were grieving and showing that grief in their way. But not disrupting our community,” Te Aho said.

“I heard the direct concerns of mothers of sons arrested, for their sons, and the children left behind and the concern for those tamariki going into CFS (Oranga Tamariki). I heard from the partner of one of the men arrested and the impacts on them in terms of housing, work, vehicle, mobile phone and child’s school laptop. Also, a teacher who relayed how children turned up to school in the same clothes – and when asked by the teacher why – the child said that both of their parents were in prison now.

“I stated that: “We are the mana of this land.

Superintendent Tim Anderson and Detective Superintendent Greg Williams were in charge of the raids in Auckland, Hamilton and Bay of Plenty last week.

“If the NZ Police Head office or any other government agency like Oranga Tamariki think that they can do what they have done again in our district again then they have another thing coming.

“The other thing coming is that we will establish our own intelligence and surveillance of them. When an emergency is triggered we will blockade them at the houses that they raid and not relent until the rights of our people have been validated and our tamariki mokopuna.”