Gang shootings: Killer Beez, Tribesmen turf war rages on in Auckland

The turf war between the Tribesmen and Killer Beez gangs shows no sign of abating, with three suspected arsons and another shooting in the past 48 hours.

The tit-for-tat feud appears to have spread south of Auckland, with one of the suspicious fires at the Tribesmen gang pad in the Bay of Plenty town of Murupara in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Killer Beez and the Tribesmen have been at war for the past few months. Photo / File

Murupara was one of the original chapters of the Tribesmen, along with Ōtara in Manukau where much of the ongoing violence with the Killer Beez has occurred.

As well as the Murupara fire, an Ōtara property in Berrett Place linked to the Tribesmen was damaged in a suspected arson overnight.

A third property, on Friedlanders Rd in Manurewa linked to the Killer Beez, also caught fire last night in what investigators consider to be suspicious circumstances.

Police are also investigating a drive-by shooting in nearby Clover Park, also believed to be linked to the ongoing feud between the rival gangs.

The Tribesmen are in the middle of a turf war with the Killer Beez. Photo / File

One police source commented to the Herald that there was "no sign this is going to be resolved any time soon".

The latest fires and shootings come four days after the police announced 19 people have been arrested and charged for firearms and drugs offending as part of the police investigation into the unlawful gang activity across Auckland, known as Operation Dairyland.

A fortnight of terror continues

The violent feud between the two gangs erupted around May 24 after seven shootings were reported in a single night of chaos.

The incidents happened in Papatoetoe, Ōtara, Flat Bush, Papakura and Te Atatū, Mt Albert and Henderson.

Five of the addresses that were subject to the overnight shootings have in the past had links to gangs, but two of the addresses currently had no links at all to the gangs.

One home was allegedly shot 44 times.

Four days later, on May 28, a home in Manurewa was sprayed with bullets in an overnight drive-by shooting apparently linked to the King Cobras gang.

At least 20 bullet holes could be seen in the walls and windows of a house and in a container sleepout on the property.

Neighbours said the property was a gang house.

Just last week, homes in Manukau and Ōpaheke were also targeted.

On Wednesday evening, police were called to Albert Rd, near the Manukau shopping centre and a Turners used car dealership, just before 8pm.

Ten minutes later officers received further reports of shots being fired at a property on Boundary Rd in Ōpaheke, near Drury.

The terror has continued into this week already after there was a drive-by shooting in Clover Park.

Police received reports of the incident at a property on Zelda Ave just before 7pm on Monday.

It is believed this is another incident thought to be related to the gang feud.

A police spokesperson said the incident would be investigated as part of Operation Dairyland, the police probe into the series of gang-linked firearms and suspicious fires that have rocked Auckland since May.

The city is also becoming riddled with suspicious fires.

On May 28, two homes in Papatoetoe and Henderson were targeted.

Police wouldn't confirm if the incidents were gang-related, but the Papatoetoe property on Caspar Rd was among those targeted in the spate of shootings.

Last Thursday fires broke out at properties on Felix St in Onehunga and on Pandora Place in Pakuranga and yesterday, police responded to a suspicious house fire on Berrett Place in Ōtara.