Police have issued more than 100 infringement notices and seized five cars after several boy racer meet-ups across Manawatū overnight Friday.
A fleeing driver was also caught after doing double the speed limit through the streets of Palmerston North.
As part of Operation Purple, officers were spread throughout the region to "disrupt gatherings and target illegal activity" with the help of the Eagle helicopter, according to Inspector Ross Grantham.
"We've been very clear - we have no tolerance for this behaviour and the havoc it wreaks in our communities," he said in a statement on Saturday.
Staff worked hard through the night, he added.
"We've seen enough recent examples, including the tragic case where a young man had to have his leg amputated after being struck by a vehicle at a meet, to know the very real dangers involved."
Seven people were arrested or taken into custody for reasons including breach of bail, warrants to arrest, and "driving issues".
Eight others had excess breath alcohol readings.
Meanwhile, 14 vehicles were slapped with pink or green stickers due to non-compliance with the law.
One driver and his passenger were arrested after the Eagle helicopter tracked them down to an outbuilding in Highbury.
The driver, a 20-year-old man, had been driving through central Palmerston North when a patrol car spotted him allegedly driving at more than double the speed limit on Tremaine Ave at about 11:30pm on Friday.
The Eagle tracked the car to a property in Highbury, a suburb of Palmerston North.
The pair abandoned the car and fled on foot, but it didn't take long for officers to find and arrest them.
Their car was impounded, and the driver is due to appear in Palmerston North District Court on Saturday.
Insp Grantham said many of these vehicles are unsafe to drive.
"Compounding this is the presence of alcohol and people choosing to get behind the wheel after drinking," he said.
"Police are sending a message to anyone considering coming out again over the weekend - we are ready and waiting, and you can expect us to take action."
The latest infringements and arrests come after two police officers were injured by "rocks and bottles" at a 200-car burnout meet in Levin in early June.
Plus, last December, four people were arrested and six vehicles seized in a previous crackdown on Manawatū boy racers.
And in August 2022, police issued nearly 150 infringements and charged seven people after a boy racer meet in Whanganui.
