Key Takeaways:
- A patched Mongrel Mob member, Rameka Joseph Rangi-Te Rito, was sentenced to eight months’ home detention for kidnapping and participating in a violent assault on a 28-year-old victim.
- The attack was part of a series of violent incidents committed by the Mongrel Mob’s Aotearoa chapter over several months in 2022.
- The victim suffered severe injuries, including a collapsed lung, fractured eye socket, and fractured ribs, after being beaten with various weapons, including a hammer and a child’s bike.
- The Mongrel Mob’s violent offending led to a complex and detailed police investigation, Operation Pakari, which resulted in 21 people being charged and six gang members being found guilty of serious assaults and kidnapping.
- Authorities are now seeking to confiscate the Mongrel Mob’s Mataura pad, valued at $347,000, as part of their efforts to disrupt the gang’s activities.
Introduction to the Incident
The Mongrel Mob’s violent offending in 2022 was marked by a series of brutal incidents, including the kidnapping and assault of a 28-year-old victim. The attack, which lasted for several hours, involved multiple patched members and associates of the gang, including Rameka Joseph Rangi-Te Rito. The victim was beaten with various weapons, including a hammer and a child’s bike, and suffered severe injuries, including a collapsed lung, fractured eye socket, and fractured ribs.
The Assault and Kidnapping
The assault began when Rangi-Te Rito and at least eight other patched members and associates of the Mongrel Mob arrived at the victim’s Invercargill address while he was at home with his children. The victim was told to get into a "Mob car" but instead ran into a shed on the property, where he was assaulted by the gang members. The attackers used various items in the shed, including a child’s bicycle, pieces of timber, and tools, to inflict injuries on the victim. He was then dragged out to the car and taken to the Mongrel Mob’s Mataura pad, where he suffered further injuries.
The Aftermath and Investigation
The victim was eventually taken to Gore Hospital, where he was assessed as being in a serious condition and transferred to Southland Hospital. The police investigation into the incident, known as Operation Pakari, was complex and detailed, involving multiple agencies and resulting in 21 people being charged with a range of offenses. Six Mongrel Mob members were found guilty of serious assaults and kidnapping in August 2022, and Rangi-Te Rito was sentenced to eight months’ home detention for his role in the kidnapping.
Rangi-Te Rito’s Sentence and Connections to the Gang
Rangi-Te Rito, 40, had been on bail since the August 2022 incident and had no previous convictions. He was a father of six and had since been employed. However, Justice Jonathan Eaton noted that Rangi-Te Rito still had a commitment and loyalty to the gang, which led to "nasty and stand-over offending" against the victim. Rangi-Te Rito was sentenced to eight months’ home detention and was ordered not to associate with the victim or communicate with the gang without approval.
Operation Pakari and the Mongrel Mob’s Violent Offending
Operation Pakari was a complex and detailed investigation into the Mongrel Mob’s violent offending across several months in 2022. The operation resulted in 21 people being charged with a range of offenses, including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, kidnapping, and injuring with intent to injure. The victims of the assaults were largely uncooperative with police, making the investigation challenging. The Mongrel Mob’s violent offending had a significant impact on the community, with multiple incidents of drive-by shootings and violent assaults leaving people with critical injuries.
Confiscation of the Mongrel Mob’s Mataura Pad
Authorities are now seeking to confiscate the Mongrel Mob’s Mataura pad, valued at $347,000, as part of their efforts to disrupt the gang’s activities. Crown lawyers have applied for a forfeiture order covering the gang headquarters and a next-door section in Albion St. The confiscation of the pad is seen as a significant step in disrupting the Mongrel Mob’s operations and preventing further violent offending. The move is part of a broader effort to tackle organized crime and gang activity in New Zealand, and to hold gang members accountable for their actions.