Police plan gang crackdown

Police are planning a major nationwide crackdown on gangs.

The six-month-long operation, dubbed Operation Cobalt, is scheduled to begin in late June.

Every one of the 12 police districts are expected to dedicate staff to it, and a special task force will be set up in Auckland – the epicentre of organised crime in New Zealand. Police are yet to confirm details of the operation, but are expected to do so soon.

There has been a major shift in the gang landscape in recent years, in part due to the arrival of hundreds of hardened criminals, known as 501s, deported here since 2014 changes to Australian immigration law.

New groups, most notably the Comanchero and Mongols, have established here and brought with them international connections, and an unprecedented level of violence.

As gangs have jostled for territory, there has been conflict. Drive-by shootings have left homes riddled with bullets, while molotov cocktails have destroyed businesses.

Opposition parties, such as National, have called for a police crackdown, saying the Government’s ‘‘soft on crime approach’’ has allowed organised crime groups to behave as if ‘‘they can act with impunity’’.

Police Minister Poto Williams says the Government has bolstered police resources and is supporting operations targeting organised crime. However, she’s repeatedly pointed to the need to address the social factors driving people to join gangs.

In February last year, police launched a nationwide operation, dubbed Operation Tauwhiro, aimed at disrupting the illegal supply of firearms.