Police minister's warning for white-collar Hawke's Bay gangsters

Assets seized in the raid include a house, vehicles and motorbikes, and about $400,000 in cash. Photo / Supplied

Police minister Stuart Nash has hailed a major drug bust of a Mongrel Mob Riders chapter in Hawke's Bay, saying a crackdown with extra police officers is working.

On Tuesday police seized approximately $1 million in assets, and arrested 16 people, a majority of whom were patched members of the Mongrel Mob or associates.

They found methamphetamine, cash, cannabis and 10 firearms. Assets seized included vehicles and motorbikes, as well as approximately $400,000 in cash and a house.

Nash said the crackdown on gangs, drugs, and illegal firearms showed the value of a specialist unit to target them.

"Busting these organised crime networks takes hard slog by police, and months of investigative work to ensure the charges can stand up in court."

He also had a stark warning for white-collar professionals in the region who "operated in the shadows behind the highly visible patched gang members".

"People in professional positions, both locally and offshore, are often the brains behind drug-dealing networks," he said.

"Other professionals are engaged in money-laundering which enables gangs to run criminal enterprises behind a business facade.

"Whether you wear a gang patch or a shirt and tie, you will face the consequences of your offending.

"The gangs and the business professionals who organise the drug trade are a scourge on our neighbourhoods. They even tried to poison our communities during the lockdown."

Most of those arrested on Tuesday ranged in age from 18 to 46. They appeared in Hastings District Court on Wednesday, facing drug and firearms charges, and many were remanded in custody.

Those in custody included the leader of a Hawke's Bay Mongrel Mob chapter.

Detective Inspector Mike Foster said the operation was a culmination of an ongoing operation by the Organised Crime Unit into the sale of methamphetamine and cannabis throughout Hawke's Bay.

Nash said he had a "huge" appreciation for police who worked tirelessly to hold offenders to account.

"I also want to thank everyone in the community who is prepared to step forward to report suspicious activity with gangs and firearms and drugs. It does help."