PHOTO
"Every member of the Christchurch chapter of the Comancheros Motorcycle Club" has now been convicted following a major investigation into multi-million-dollar drug trafficking operation, police say.
Led by the police National Organised Crime Group (NOCG) and Asset Recovery Unit, Operation Avon and Operation Leith targeted people from Invercargill to Auckland.
Acting Detective Inspector Phil Sparks said in a statement the nationwide search warrant phase in August 2024 resulted in the seizure of about 5kg of Class A drugs, 11 firearms, ammunition, and more than $250,000 in cash.
Police also restrained more than $1.9 million in assets, including an Auckland property and 11 vehicles.
A related investigation, Operation Leith, identified a further eight people in the southern South Island participating in criminal activity.
A total of 29 people, aged 18 to 55, were arrested and charged with a range of drug-related offences. All have now been convicted.
The Christchurch chapter of the Comancheros became a priority target for NOCG, supported by Canterbury Police, due to its significant involvement in drug distribution and money laundering across New Zealand.
Sparks said investigators quickly uncovered large-scale offending involving methamphetamine, cocaine and extensive money laundering.
"Class A drugs cause immense harm in our communities.
"Organised criminal groups profit from that harm, accumulating cash, property and high-value assets while showing no regard for the devastation caused to individuals and families.
"This operation has significantly disrupted the Comancheros' ability to establish and maintain a foothold in Canterbury and has had a major impact on the drug supply chain across New Zealand."
Sparks said the gang co-ordinated the movement of drugs and cash between Auckland and Christchurch every few weeks, with drugs distributed throughout the South Island as far south as Invercargill.
He says more than $1 million worth of drugs at wholesale value was trafficked between the North and South Islands - equivalent to an estimated $15 million street value.
"Operation Avon demonstrates police's commitment to targeting organised criminal groups and holding offenders to account.
"Crucially, the arrest and conviction of every member of the Christchurch chapter has effectively ended the Comancheros' presence in Christchurch and significantly weakened their influence across the wider South Island."
He said restraining the Comancheros criminal assets and cash was a substantial blow to the gang's ability to regroup, re-establish drug supply networks, and continue offending.
-Allied Media