Rotorua Police make arrests after tangi for ex-gang leader Jeffrey Gear

Jeffrey Gear at his sentencing in 2023 in the High Court at Rotorua. The court heard how he had turned his life around. Photo / NZME

Rotorua police made five arrests following a “gang tangi” today, Rotorua area commander Inspector Herby Ngawhika says.

The Rotorua earlier reported former gang leader Jeffrey Gear was farewelled today in the Ngongotahā area, following his death on Sunday aged 47.

Gear was president of the Rotorua Filthy Few gang for a decade before handing in his patch in 2021 and turning his life around.

His tangi was on Leonard Rd in Ngongotahā and his casket was taken on a ride around Lake Rotorua before his burial.

There was traffic monitoring in place and delays as the funeral procession made its way around the lake in the Hamurana area.

Ngawhika said in a media release this evening that police were “disappointed that a small number of people needed to be arrested” after the tangi.

He said police had an increased visible presence across Rotorua due to the tangi to ensure the wider community’s safety.

They had been working with the whānau to ensure a safe precession today, and police were happy with how most attendees behaved.

“Unfortunately, a small number of people took today as an opportunity to display poor road behaviours which resulted in Police action needing to be taken.”

Charges laid ranged from traffic offences to possession of an offensive weapon. Police issued 20 infringement notices, impounded four vehicles and ordered a fifth off the road.

Rotorua Police area commander Inspector Herby Ngawhika. Photo / Andrew Warner

“It’s disappointing because Police and whānau had worked well together and a small number of people had taken away from the tangi.”

Ngawhika said police would explore further enforcement action as CCTV and phone evidence was examined and offenders identified.

He said it was the job of police to stop people acting in a way that encroached on others’ safety, and they would continue their “highly visible presence” this evening.

He thanked motorists for their patience and understanding on the roads today.

Anyone who saw unlawful activity was urged to contact police.

From gang boss to ‘role model’

Gear left the Filthy Few after being caught up in a major drug smuggling operation involving Tauranga offenders and a Mexican cartel.

It was described as a turning point in his life at his sentencing in March 2023.

He faced a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment, but instead was given 11 months’ home detention.

Justice Matthew Palmer described him during sentencing as someone who was now a “role model and a leader” after handing in his patch and getting clean of drugs.

Gear was one of eight people arrested in Operation Tarpon.

Others included Maurice Oliver Swinton from Te Puke, a Port of Tauranga stevedore who was jailed for two years and nine months for his role as an “inside man” in a plot to smuggle 200kg of cocaine from a Mexican cartel into New Zealand in a shipping container.

During Gear’s sentencing, it was revealed his father introduced him to methamphetamine and he smoked it every day for 25 years until 2023.

He became involved in gangs and, after being a member of the Filthy Few in Rotorua for 10 years, became the gang’s president.

But his arrest in 2021 saw him hand in his patch and start extensive rehabilitation.