Crusade halts city gang activity

Christchurch police have shut down a Mongrel Mob’s brazen drug dealing operation and put the gang’s leaders behind bars after a huge and highly successful 15-month investigation.



A High Court jury found 13 patched members and two gang associates guilty of multiple charges of dealing in P and cannabis, and hoarding guns and ammunition. Two women charged were acquitted on gun charges.

The trial was one of the largest ever in terms of the number of defendants. The guilty verdicts vindicated months of hard work, according to Detective Sergeant Ross Tarawhiti, the officer who headed Operation Crusade (code-named because of the gang headquarters’ proximity to Jade Stadium). Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Clement also headed the police team until the termination phase.

“It will be interesting to see if 13 is still the Mongrel Mob’s favourite number,” says Ross. “The irony is that 13 of the people we convicted were patched members. The convictions were from evidence gathered during our 13-phase operation,” he says.

Operation Crusade began in January 2003 after police were alerted to in-fighting in the gang, and general gang violence.

“Our investigation started in a small way, but we quickly realised the gang was involved in large-scale drug dealing from their headquarters,” says Ross.

During searches of the house in 2002 and 2003, police found firearms and ammunition on three occasions. Gang rivalries were fuelled after an article in a Sunday newspaper in July 2003 where the Black Power threatened to wipe out the Mongrel Mob and dominate the South Island’s drug business.

Violence simmered and two Mongrel Mob members attacked a Black Power member, fracturing his skull. The gang’s president, Junior Wiringi, and the sergeant at arms, Peter Gilbert, were charged with the savage attack and subsequently received nine-year jail terms.

Police stepped up their operation, using a variety of investigation techniques including surveillance, covert cameras, listening into hundreds of telephone conversations between gang members and using plain clothes officers to buy drugs from the headquarters.

“The gang was particularly blatant about its drug-dealing activities,” says Ross.

“They would sell drugs to anyone, including teenagers under 18. They were totally cavalier in the way they operated. It was well known in certain circles that you could buy drugs from the house,” he says.

An estimated average of 24 customers visited the headquarters each day to buy drugs which equates to the operation taking in $600 a day just for cannabis, with buyers paying $120 a point for methamphetamine.

“The Mongrel Mob was dealing in drugs for general funds for the chapter, but in the end, they were all ripping each other off, with individuals pocketing the proceeds,” says Ross.

One of those convicted, Lisa Howie, Wiringi’s partner, organised the operation. She was the gang’s ‘chief executive officer’, liaising with suppliers, rolling the tinnies and organising the sales roster.

“It was an interesting set-up given the low self-esteem that women have in a gang. The irony was she was running the gang’s drug operation,” he says.

Ross has high praise for the large number of Christchurch staff involved in the operation.
When the operation was terminated on 3 September last year, 190 staff were involved. Police arrested 27 people and laid 250 charges.

During depositions in February this year, the defendants had to sit in the jury box; such was the congestion in court. Some of those charged pleaded guilty and a total of 18 defendants, represented by 11 counsel, went to trial in September this year.

“We had huge security issues both at depositions and during the trial. Another complicating factor was that gang members giving evidence tried to protect their colleagues.”

Ross says the Mongrel Mob didn’t seem to care about being caught, with prison no deterrent.

“Going to prison is not a downside for the gang. Other than the fact they can’t be with their families, they have simply changed addresses, from Wilsons Road to Paparua Prison,” he says.

Since the gang members have been behind bars Christchurch police have noticed a down-turn in gang-related violence.