Police prepare for 500km gang funeral procession for former Head Hunter leader’s son, Mossy Hines

Police are preparing for a 500km funeral procession for the son of one of the Head Hunters’ most senior leaders, William “Bird” Hines.

Mossy Hines’ body will take the same route his father’s did in 2023, travelling from Auckland to Foxton, north of Wellington, with members of his gang in tow.

He will be driven down to Foxton on Friday morning before an 11am service.

According to social media posts made by the family, Mossy Hines died on Monday.

The post said his body is at the Haven Falls Funeral Home in Henderson. He will be buried with his father at the Motuiti Marae urupā at Hīmatangi.

Waitematā West area commander Simon Walker told the Herald police are aware of planned travel between Auckland and Foxton expected to involve gang members.

“Our focus is on ensuring the safety of the public and road users,” he said.

“Police will be monitoring activity on the roads to ensure safe driving behaviour, and will be reminding those travelling of acceptable behaviour in public spaces. Any observed unsafe or unlawful behaviour will result in enforcement action.”

His father’s tangi involved a major police presence and hundreds of patched members blocking State Highway 1 at times as they travelled the journey that spanned most of the North Island.

Mossy Hines, in a police photo released in 2006. Photo / NZ Police

Hines has a range of criminal convictions, including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing methamphetamine for supply.

In January 2009, Hines was jailed with another man, Daniel Eliu, for a prolonged attack with a Stanley knife on a man they considered a “nark”.

At the time, Hines was a Head Hunters gang prospect. He was also charged with having a loaded pistol in his possession.

Prosecutor David McNaughton said the victim was lured by Eliu to a prearranged rendezvous and presented to Hines “on a plate”.

He was then subjected to an attack with the Stanley knife despite protesting his innocence, receiving slashes across his face, body and arms.

In March 2021, police searched Hines’ home in Pakuranga, Auckland, and found $63,610 in cash. Hines had tried to hide $20,000 of that in his underpants.

In June 2022, police arrested Hines at the SkyCity casino in Auckland and found he was carrying $10,370 in cash in a satchel.

Earlier, they had searched his new home in Howick when he was not there, finding ammunition and what appeared to be a cannabis plant.

Head Hunter gangsters set off from Auckland on their mass ride for the tangi of William "Bird" Hines near Foxton in 2023. Photo / Hayden Woodward

In September 2022, police stopped Hines after he got out of his car in Highland Park, Auckland.

In his Gucci bum bag, they found 43g of methamphetamine, some cannabis plant and $15,296 in cash.

The cash from all three searches – a total of $89,276 – was seized by police, who then successfully applied to the High Court to have it forfeited to the Crown under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009.

The only explanation Hines had given for the cash police seized was that he got the $15,296 in his bum bag in September 2022 from selling a car the previous evening.