A 60-year-old member of the Head Hunters outlaw motorcycle gang is alleged to be involved in importing 50kg of cocaine from Brazil into New Zealand. Photo / Brett Phibbs
A 60-year-old member of the Head Hunters outlaw motorcycle gang is alleged to be involved in importing 50kg of cocaine from Brazil into New Zealand. Photo / Brett Phibbs
A high-ranking member of the Head Hunters motorcycle gang is alleged to have smuggled 50kg of cocaine from Brazil earlier this year.
The 60-year-old appeared in the Auckland District Court on Friday where he was charged with importing cocaine, as well as conspiracy to import the Class-A drug,and was remanded in custody.
The arrest of the senior Head Hunter for his alleged involvement in the 50kg cocaine plot came nine months after five other defendants – including a former national sports champion – were arrested in February.
At that stage, the 60-year-old was charged only with the unlawful possession of military-style firearms, including automatic rifles, and granted bail to an address in south Auckland.
He is one of four Head Hunters now facing charges in connection to Operation Reach, a covert investigation by the police National Organised Crime Group and Customs.
The men were under surveillance and allegedly seen making “extensive preparations” to remove the cocaine from a shipping container that had been unloaded at the Port of Tauranga.
“This included the purchase of walkie-talkie radios, an army ‘ghillie’ suit, bolt cutters, gloves, security branded t-shirts, and high-visibility gear,” Detective Inspector Tom Gollan said in a statement at the time.
“These methods, combined with the alleged possession of illegal firearms, demonstrate the lengths criminal enterprises are willing to go to avoid detection and import illicit drugs into New Zealand.
“Unfortunately for this group, Police, alongside our partner agencies, were five steps ahead.”
The shipping container was moved to a commercial premises in Auckland. Wearing the fake security guard t-shirts, they cut a hole in the security fence to gain access to the container, then broke in to remove two 25kg bags of cocaine.
Operation Reach started when the screening process by Customs identified the shipping container from Brazil as a potential risk.
In total, 11 men are facing charges relating to the importation, conspiracy and possession for supply of cocaine.
One of two 25kg bags of cocaine seized in Operation Reach in February 2024. Photo / NZ Police
Methamphetamine is still the most popular drug in New Zealand, according to wastewater testing. But the cocaine market has grown noticeably in recent years.
In 2009, Customs stopped just 3kg of the Class-A drug. Since 2017, there have been numerous seizures in excess of 100kg, including a record of 700kg at the Port of Tauranga in March 2022.
The following year, a joint investigation by New Zealand law enforcement found nearly four tonnes of cocaine in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Police believed the vast majority of that was destined for Australia, however.
The increase in cocaine supply has been driven by Mexican and South American cartels, often working in tandem with outlaw motorcycle gangs based in New Zealand with strong international ties.
Jared Savage is an award-winning journalist who covers crime and justice issues, with a particular interest in organised crime. He joined the Herald in 2006, and is the author of Gangland and Gangster’s Paradise.
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