Large groups of people on dirt bikes have been causing issues across Auckland. Photo / NZ Police
Large groups of people on dirt bikes have been causing issues across Auckland. Photo / NZ Police
Kiwis have been given a behind-the-scenes look at a police operation targeting illegal motorbike riders cruising Auckland's streets en masse and pulling stunts.
Witnesses earlier told the Herald that up to 60 motorbikes cruised East Auckland's Tamaki Drive on Easter Saturday, pulling wheelies and burnouts.
Police subsequently arrested six ridersand seized 10 bikes.
Now they have released a video on the Counties Manukau Police Facebook page offering the public a look into how they prepared for the bike riders and moved in to arrest those riding illegally.
Senior Sergeant Jono Chappell said police were already aware of past rides in which dirt bike and other riders had put "themselves and others at risk" and caused "frustration on the roads" and in the community.
This enabled them to become aware of the Easter Saturday ride on April 6 ahead of time, he tells the camera in the police video.
"We have an operation in place and plan to disrupt the group's activities and prevent them from causing mayhem on our roads," he says as images of police mobilising en masse play in the background.
A still from video purportedly showing the moments police arrested multiple dirt bike riders in Auckland. Photo / TikTok
Then - as video shows police vans and cars taking to the streets - Chappell tells the camera that police have gotten a lead on the riders by tapping into city cameras and surveillance provided by the police chopper overhead.
"Okay, so we've just got information now that there's two groups of illegal dirt bike riders."
"Some have gathered south of our location, with another group congregating in our anticipated spot."
The video then cuts to footage of police making arrests as well as images of some of the bikes seized.
Still from video posted to Tik Tok of a motorcycle rider on the Southern Motorway over Waitangi Weekend 2021 popping a wheelie and riding without a helmet.
Chappell then updates the video, saying police had been effective at patrolling the bike riders.
"We've been able to impound 10 motorbikes, two vehicles and make six arrests," he says.
"Our team's also conducting a number of follow up inquiries and we plan to update you."
The police video came after a large group of riders were also filmed on Waitangi weekend on February 6 pulling wheelies and doing burnouts in the Waterview Tunnel, the Southern Motorway and other roads.
Footage emerged of one rider, wearing no helmet or protective gear, pulling a wheelie on a dirt bike for more than 12 minutes - some of it through the entire 4.2km length of the Waterview Tunnel.
Still from video posted to Tik Tok of a motorcycle rider on the Southern Motorway over Waitangi Weekend 2021 popping a wheelie.
A separate video showed a group of riders without helmets - one of them shirtless and astride a quad bike - travelling en masse down Mt Roskill's Richardson Rd.
One person was arrested and charged following the Waitangi weekend stunts for alleged dangerous driving behaviour.
At the time Auckland Mayor Phil Goff condemned the dangerous behaviour on the city's roads.
"This sort of reckless and idiotic behaviour puts the health and safety of the community at risk and those responsible need to be held accountable," Goff said.
