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A new organised crime agency is targeting the kingpins of the drug world, rather than their crimes, aiming to "disrupt" them anyway it can.
The Organised and Financial Crime Agency (Ofcanz) is intended to have a big impact on a range of serious crime, including the P manufacture and distribution
that has become the mainstay of organised crime.
It will take a more creative approach to policing by calling on whatever resources it can get from across government to create a "hostile environment" for criminals.
The agency, which is hosted within the police, started in July last year and is running one operation, with three more to start in the next month. It has 25 staff.
In his first public interview, Ofcanz establishment director John Beaglehole told the Herald that the end-goal did not always have to be prosecution and it was open to "other outcomes".
"It could be that we see people in New Zealand who are on temporary visas who are involved in organised crime at a fairly low level. One way to disrupt this criminal network is to have their visas revoked [and say], 'See you later'."
Mr Beaglehole said Ofcanz had identified three "focus areas": motorcycle gangs, ethnic gangs such as Black Power and the Mongrel Mob, and Asian organised crime.
From within these it would identify "targets", then set up a "taskforce" to take them on.
He said a target could be an individual or group. It was possible that a particular motorcycle gang could find itself feeling the full force of Ofcanz.
Information-sharing with other agencies was one tactic, Mr Beaglehole said. This was already providing information "that's more than interesting - it's useful".
Ofcanz would work with agencies such as Fisheries, Customs, Housing, Immigration or Work and Income, using their staff and any particular powers as required.
It would also work closely with the section of police that used the new law to recover assets from criminals and with the Serious Fraud Office - whose powers and purpose were originally intended to be merged into Ofcanz before National took power.
Mr Beaglehole said the focus would be on criminals, because their crimes changed as required, although he said all of them were involved in methamphetamine in some form.
Ofcanz comprises a mixture of sworn officers and civilian staff.
Mr Beaglehole is a civilian - an opera-singing lawyer who has worked for Crown Law and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
He said Ofcanz would also try to identify law changes and regulations that could hit organised crime.
He pointed out that drivers' licences - a de facto form of ID that was relatively easy to get - were being abused for benefit fraud and at banks.
Ofcanz's objective was to add a proactive and strategic influence to traditional policing methods.
