Operation Cobalt: Northland police carry out just 15 searches in six months

Ammunition and a firearm seized by police executing Operation Cobalt search warrants. Photo / NZ Police

Northland police have carried out fewer searches under the nationwide Operation Cobalt than police in any other district in the country, according to data released under the Official Information Act.

Data from the beginning of the operation in June last year until February 3 showed 15 searches had taken place - 13 with search warrants, and two without.

However, another 10 search warrants were executed at the beginning of March, resulting in nine arrests and 57 charges laid.

Despite the comparatively low number of searches, 1125 charges were laid and 1377 infringement offence notices were issued in Northland under the operation - just 450 less than in Auckland City.

Until February, just four firearms had been seized in the district but in early March, 16 guns were seized when the 10 new search warrants were executed.

Detective Inspector Bridget Doell, Northland District criminal investigations manager, said police were “cracking down” on gangs, which was shown in the number of charges laid as a result of the operation.

“Police’s focus on the illegal use and possession of firearms continues. Operation Tauwhiro resulted in 123 firearms seizures, and this work continues under Operation Cobalt, alongside the focus on any unlawful behaviour by gangs.

“However, firearms seizures are not the sole focus of the operation – rather it’s on the broad range of illegal activity by people in gangs and organised crime, and those associated with them. Any unlawful behaviour by gangs can be expected to result in enforcement action from police.”

Operation Tauwhiro, the predecessor to Operation Cobalt, focused on disrupting and preventing firearms-related violence.

“Operation Cobalt remains an ongoing national focus to disrupt organised crime, violent offending and unlawful gang behaviour, and Northland – along with other districts – will continue to dedicate resources to the operation, which continues over 2023,” Doell said.

Whangārei-based National list MP Shane Reti said he would not expect such a low number of searches as Northland was known to have a high number of patched gang members per capita.

“I’m surprised that the numbers are so low when we know we have gang issues,” he said.

“Fundamentally this needs more resources for Northland and policies that don’t accept a soft-on-crime approach.”

The number of police in the region was the fundamental issue, Reti said, which was also shown by the low number of breath tests carried out by police in Northland - a 67 per cent fall in the six years to 2020/21.

Before his sudden resignation from the portfolio yesterday, former Minister of Police Stuart Nash said in a statement he was “extremely proud” of the work police were doing under Operation Cobalt, which reached a milestone of 28,000 charges laid nationally.

“A high priority of cracking down on gangs and organised crime is why we are progressing the Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Bill. The Government is progressing legislation that creates new offences and enforcement powers to give police even more tools to combat gangs.

“The Government also allocated $562 million for law and order in Budget 2022 for work targeting and removing unlawful firearms off the streets, progressing firearm prohibition orders, and investment in more Police with hundreds more officers focused on serious and organised crime.”