As stated by Inspector Will Loughrin, Area Commander Waikato West
Police had a large presence in the Ngaruawahia and Taupiri area today in relation to a tangi for a patched gang member.
An operation to monitor the behaviour of those involved in the tangi was carried out by Police to ensure minimal disruption to the public.
During the operation, one person was arrested for displaying gang insignia and another person who was unrelated to the tangi was arrested for a Warrant to Arrest.
Police staff monitoring the tangi saw the man of interest travelling in the area and he was taken into custody sometime later.
Police engaged with the whānau and Marae throughout the day to ensure minimal impact to the community, while allowing those attending the tangi to have space to grieve.
While it is not always possible to take action at the time, Police are committed to enforcing the gang insignia legislation and will take every opportunity to not only follow up on these breaches but also any other unlawful activity.
We would like to thank the members of the Ngaruawahia community for their patience.
Police encourage the public to report any instances of unlawful activity to us, so we can take appropriate action.
Please contact 111 if it is happening now, or report non-emergencies to Police by calling 105 or making an online report via 105.police.govt.nz.
