Police Commissioner Andrew Coster announcing the latest phases of several linked investigations that has led the police to prosecute the Comancheros as an organised criminal group.
A former US Marine travelled to New Zealand to train members of the Comancheros motorcycle gang in combat drills and military tactics, the Herald can reveal.
The soldier had combat experience from tours of duty in Afghanistan as a squad leader, and allegedly spent four weeks training 15members or associates of the gang late last year.
Police allege the quasi-military camps were to establish a “ghost team” to carry out violence on behalf of the gang, and forms part of the prosecution case that the Comancheros are an organised criminal group.
The Comancheros are an Australian motorcycle club that established a chapter in New Zealand six years ago when a small but influential, group were deported as “501s” by Australian authorities.
Their arrival led to a radical shift in the criminal underworld, with police targeting senior members of the gang for drug dealing and money laundering.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster today announced the latest phases of several linked investigations had led the police to prosecute the Comancheros as an organised criminal group.
“From the moment the gang established a presence in this country, they made it very clear they saw themselves as the number one gang in this country.
“Police have dealt a blow right to the heart of this gang’s alleged activities.”
One of the key pieces of evidence, Coster alleged, was an instruction sent to Comanchero members three years ago to establish a “commission” to fund the gang’s activities.
As an example, police allege members were ordered to pay a $5000 commission for every kilogram of drugs sold.
“This commission allegedly raised funds to purchase a gang pad, two businesses as well as purchasing of firearms,” Coster said.
“Police will also allege that these funds were being used to carry out military-styled training of 15 of its members by a trainer brought into the country for this purpose.”
Prosecution documents obtained by the Herald reveal the former Marine travelled to New Zealand in November last year to put the gang members through a comprehensive training schedule every day, which included physical fitness tests, as well as practical and classroom lessons.
According to documents police extracted from the trainer’s electronic devices, the lessons included “live fire” drills, combat patrols, ambushes, counter-surveillance and camouflage techniques.
Photographs on his phone show several Comancheros wearing combat-style clothing, full face and body paint, to practise military manoeuvres at an ‘airsoft’ - a shooting game using plastic projectiles - facility south of Auckland.
A week later, the group travelled to a rural Northland property for “live fire” drills with real firearms and ammunition.
One of the Comancheros was photographed wearing sniper camouflage clothing known as a ghillie suit, and carrying a sledgehammer.
As part of Operation Embargo, the most recent covert investigation, police will allege the training camps demonstrate the Comancheros’ ability to establish “tactical teams” to carry out violent offences.
In the alleged “commission” instruction sent to members, there was a discussion about starting a “ghost team” to “take on our wars” and “continue to do our hits”.
The “commission” would pay for training and equipment, including bulletproof vests, police allege.
A group of Comancheros practising military tactics in training drills with a former United States Marine in November 2023.
A member of the Comancheros wearing a camouflaged 'ghillie suit' while on training exercises with a former United States Marine in November 2023.
Coster also announced three earlier phases of the National Organised Crime Group investigations into the Comancheros.
Operation Scuba was a complex money laundering inquiry, in which the police allege profits from the gang’s illegal activities were used to make significant purchases.
In total, $5.8 million worth of assets have been restrained, including two properties, and 11 people charged.
“This included professional facilitators, who it will be alleged did the money laundering for the gang,” Coster said.
The second phase was Operation Brewer, with 200kg of methamphetamine found hidden inside farm machinery in July 2023.
Then last month, police arrested every patched member of the Christchurch chapter of the gang following Operation Avon.
In total, 137 charges have been laid against 17 “office holders” of the gang’s hierarchy, 10 patched members and 14 prospects of the gang.
Coster said the investigation was the “single biggest blow” to the Comancheros since Operation Nova in 2019, when the majority of the gang’s hierarchy were convicted of money laundering or drug offences.
Even though most of their founding members are in prison, or deported to Australia in one case, the “Comos” have kept growing in size and influence in New Zealand’s criminal underworld.
Social media has been one of their most effective recruiting tools.
They are one of several gangs that have taken to posting content online to portray their strength in numbers, flaunt their wealth, or poke fun at law enforcement.
Nearly every member of the Comancheros is facing active criminal charges after multiple police investigations. Photo / NZ Police
Jared Savage covers crime and justice issues, with a particular interest in organised crime. He joined the Herald in 2006 and has won a dozen journalism awards in that time, including twice being named Reporter of the Year. He is also the author of Gangland and Gangster’s Paradise.
