Te Pāti Māori has called the police raids in Ōpōtiki “police-sponsored terrorism” after officers executed over 30 search warrants across the North Island as part of Operation Highwater yesterday.
It targeted members and associates of the Mongrel Mob Barbarian MC East Bay chapter based in Opotiki.
Waiariki MP and Te Pāti Māori co-leader, Rawiri Waititi called for Police Commissioner, Andrew Coster, to explain to Te Whakatōhea why officers chose “to activate their state-sponsored terrorism in Ōpōtiki".
“Ōpōtiki needs stability, support, and meaningful community intervention, rather than actions that incite fear and division. It doesn’t need the state to continuously torment them."
A 10-month investigation led to police swooping in and arresting 28 people, seizing illegal drugs and firearms, and restraining assets, and also prevented a planned drive-by shooting at a local marae.
Waititi said it was intentionally targeted due to the government‘s “tough on crime” legislation.
“This predatory action only exacerbates the broken relationship between Te Whakatōhea and authorities, which has been strained for centuries, ever since the death of Rev. Carl Sylvius Völkner in 1865.
“Violating whānau in their own homes on a hunch, and then throwing our people into this racist system, will do nothing to address the systemic issues created by this government.
“In anticipation of what we know will be yet another empty apology from the government this week, we recognise these targeted attacks as merely doubling down on this government’s racist agenda to exterminate our people,” he said.
On Tuesday, Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said police would continue to “relentlessly pursue criminals who prey on our communities and cause a huge amount of harm and misery in their own communities with their drug dealing and violent behaviour”.
“From my travels around the Bay of Plenty, the feedback from different iwi leaders and the wider community is that they’ve had enough of this type of criminal offending.”
Te Ao Māori News asked police for comment but they declined.