Angels given Hell as crackdown on gangs continues

Wanganui police executed search warrants yesterday at the Hell's Angels headquarters in Aramoho. The Wanganui police armed offenders squad team descended on the gang's fortified Kaikokopu Rd headquarters just after 7.30am and using loud hailers, ordered the occupants to come out unarmed and with hands on their heads. Each of the 11 occupants was handcuffed and sat on a grass embankment outside the fortified boundary fence. Two young women were in the group. Only one person appeared to be wearing a Hell's Angel patch on a tee shirt. Police cordons were placed at all entries to Kaikokopu Rd in the vicinity of the pad as squad members moved in to secure the building and surrounds. With dogs, they spent the best part of an hour inside the compound and banging sounds, consistent with some one attempting to smash heavy duty padlocks, were heard coming from within the fortified gang headquarters. Just after 9am, marked and unmarked police vehicles, including a paddy wagon, descended on the scene ferrying a large contingent of uniformed officers to the pad's gateway. They entered en masse to assist in the search of the headquarters which took several hours due to the size of the premises. Other officers and detectives who remained outside began uncuffing a number of the gang members including the patched member and one of the young women. Senior sergeant Duncan MacLeod said a quantity of property was located which will assist the police enquiry. There were no arrests. At 12.30pm yesterday police were called to an unrelated incident where four members of the Black Power were arrested on charges of possession of offensive weapons. They appeared in the Wanganui District Court yesterday. All four received bail. Mr Macleod said the matter had nothing to do with Tuesday's gang violence.