Mongrel Mob and Black Power gangs brawl in Taupo

Senior Seargent Tony Jeurissen said gang members ran along the width of the street in military style formation to a house where they goaded rivals. Photo:Andrew Warner

A brawl between two rival gangs in Taupo has resulted in multiple arrests and charges of unlawful assembly.

Taupo Senior Sergeant Tony Jeurissen said police received multiple calls about 4pm on Monday about a mass fight near the intersection of Rawhiti and Kaimanawa streets.

Police found at least 20 Black Power and Mongrel Mob members brawling in the street. One group ran off and the other remained and were "reasonably compliant".

Once police had talked to those at the scene, officers went to an address in Rawhiti St where they found and arrested 10 Mongrel Mob members.

Jeurissen said the arrested gang members came from different localities and towns from across the central North Island and police had known of simmering tensions between the groups recently, but had not known why.

On the same day, police had been called to a confrontation between a small group of the same gang members nearby in Tonga St and calmed the situation.

They had also gone to a different address in Tonga St about 2pm in the day and spoke to another group of Mongrel Mob members about their behaviour.

Jeurissen said police believed a group of Mongrel Mob members had run from Tonga St to a Rawhiti St address - approximately 200m - before the brawl.

There, more Mongrel Mob members joined them to form a group that ran along the width of the street in military-style formation about 250m to another house, where they stood outside and goaded Black Power members.

A brawl between the two groups then broke out.

Jeurissen said police thanked the members of the public who called about the brawl. Some had provided useful information but police still wanted to speak to witnesses to build a fuller picture of what had happened.

"All information is useful. Please call the Taupo police on 378 6060 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 24/7 if you have any information at all."

He added police would continue to be visible in the Rawhiti St and Tonga St areas and reassured residents that police took the behaviour seriously.

"The actions of these anti-social, boorish, and unsophisticated gang members involved in yesterday's incident should not have to be seen, let alone tolerated, by the good people of the Taupo community."

The gang members involved were on bail conditions. Mr Jeurissen said these conditions would be strictly enforced by police until the court process concluded.