Drug cleanup campaign takes toll on gang boss
Tribal Huk president Jamie Pink claims he has paid a price for his anti-P stance in Ngaruawahia.
Pink drove his blood-stained and bullet-riddled Ford Explorer into the Waikato Times carpark shortly before midnight and returned yesterday morning.
Pink claims to have lost an eyeball in a confrontation on Waikato back roads sometime over the weekend.
With a leather patch over his right eye and sporting bandages on his arm and hand, Pink told a reporter: ‘‘it is over’’.
The gang have had a very public campaign to rid the Waikato town, Ngaruawahia, of P over the past couple of weeks.
About 8.30am yesterday, an associate knocked on the door of the Waikato Times and said to be careful as there were loaded guns in Pink’s heavily armoured black SUV.
‘‘Be careful, there is live ammunition in the car, and tell the police to be careful too,’’ the associate said.
Pink then also came to the door and said the eradication of P dealers from Ngaruawahia was finished and despite being a little battered and bruised he was OK.
‘‘I’ve lost an eyeball, but all good,’’ Pink said, with a laugh.
Police have since picked up the vehicle and are investigating.
The SUV had dozens of bullet holes including through the front windscreen while the rear screen was shot out. Inside, the fourwheel-drive was armoured with bags of concrete powder on the passenger seat, presumably to stop bullets. A large punching bag and a metal plate had also been arranged in a similar manner.
Ngaruawahia Community Church Pastor David Wells said he was not surprised people in the town were staying relatively quiet about Pink’s stance as they supported the work he was doing.
‘‘I haven’t seen people leaving, but I have heard anecdotal evidence of some leaving, but my understanding by and large is that the community supports his initiatives and certainly we have enough problems in Ngaruawahia without seeing anything like P in the community,’’ Wells said.
‘‘It’s been evident that it’s a far bigger problem than what the police can address.
‘‘It comes down to the individuals, the families, the parents who know what is going on in their family and the way they are educating them in regards to the dangers of these things,’’ Wells said.
Pink reported on Friday that his gang had closed 14 P houses in Ngaruawahia. - Fairfax NZ