At least 20 people with links to the Mongrel Mob have been arrested and charged with a range of violent crimes following a large police operation targeting aggressive offending in Southland.
A police spokesperson said over the past week officers executed 20 warrants in Operation Pakari in Mataura, Gore, Invercargill, Dunedin, and Hamilton.
Police confirmed everyone arrested had links to the Mongrel Mob, with people taken into custody in Southland, Auckland and Hawke's Bay.
The spokesperson said 85 charges have been filed, with the most serious being attempted murder.
Inquiries are still ongoing and police confirmed there could be further arrests or charges.
Southland Area Commander Inspector Mike Bowman said the operation involved immense detail and planning, particularly as it involved a number of connected incidents dating back to the beginning of last year.
"The first of these incidents was in late January 2022, which spurred further violent offending in the form of drive-by shootings, and violent assaults which left people with critical injuries," he said.
"I'm really proud of the painstaking work our investigation and frontline teams have done since then, to be able to hold these offenders to account."
Everyone who has been arrested has either already appeared in court or will appear in Invercargill District Court in the coming days.
Around 50 staff from across Southland and the Southern District assisted with the operation, including the Invercargill and Dunedin-based armed offenders squad and also North Island-based members of the national organised crime group.
Operation Pakari is an investigation that began last year into a number of serious offences believed to be linked to the Mongrel Mob in Southland and in particular the Mataura Chapter.
Southland Police are focused on ensuring whānau and household members who are directly impacted by this week's activity are well-supported, Bowman said
"This has involved specialist family liaison officers entering homes directly following these warrants, looking to engage with those left behind once an arrest has been made," Bowman said.
"We thank our partner agencies working alongside these family members to support them and help ensure any further harm and offending is minimised."
The Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) programme was successfully launched in Southland this year and brings together a range of agencies such as mana whenua, NGO providers, community representatives, police and those with lived experience of harm from organised crime.
As well as those directly impacted, Inspector Bowman hopes these arrests help provide some reassurance to the wider Southland community that police will not tolerate offending.
"Our role is to minimise and prevent harm from occurring in our communities, to ensure everyone is safe and feels safe," he said.
Bowman confirmed there will be extra police patrols across Southland for the next few weeks to help provide reassurance to the community.
"If you have any information about criminal offending in our communities, please contact Police on 105, or alternatively contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
Police had previously announced on Wednesday that 11 people - the youngest a 16-year-old - had been arrested.
The arrests come after increased gang tensions in Ōpōtiki following the death of local Mongrel Mob Barbarians president Steven Taiatini.
The large gang presence in the small town of Ōpōtiki saw schools closed, bus services cancelled and people told to stay home.
