Key Takeaways
- Authorities are seeking to confiscate the Mongrel Mob’s gang pad in Mataura, Southland, due to its involvement in multiple "prolonged and tortuous" beatings.
- The gang pad, valued at $347,000, was the scene of several violent crimes, including kidnappings and assaults, between January and November 2022.
- The violence was related to an internal gang feud, which prompted a police action, Operation Pakari, resulting in the prosecution of six gang members.
- The "captain" of the Mataura Mongrel Mob, Turoirangi Atarea Harmer-Elers, is serving a prison term of three years and four months for kidnapping and assault with intent to injure.
- A forfeiture order is being sought under the Sentencing Act, with the court set to decide on the application at a later date.
Introduction to the Mongrel Mob’s Gang Pad
The Mongrel Mob’s gang pad in Mataura, Southland, has been at the center of a number of violent crimes, including kidnappings and assaults. The property, valued at $347,000, has been described as a "symbol of the gang’s status and perceived power in Southland" and is believed to have been used to facilitate and conceal serious criminal offending. Authorities are now seeking to confiscate the property under the Sentencing Act, with a forfeiture order being sought. The application for the order is part of a larger effort to disrupt the activities of the Mongrel Mob and prevent further violent crimes from being committed.
The History of Violence at the Gang Pad
The gang pad has a long history of violence, with multiple incidents occurring between January and November 2022. On each of these occasions, victims were assaulted at the pad, or at their homes before being kidnapped and taken back to the property. Once inside, the gates were locked behind them, and they were "symbolically dumped" under the Mongrel Mob insignia on the wall before "being seriously assaulted in a prolonged and tortuous manner". The violence was related to an internal gang feud, which prompted a police action, Operation Pakari. The operation resulted in the prosecution of six gang members, who received jail terms ranging from three years and four months to six years.
The Prosecution of Turoirangi Atarea Harmer-Elers
One of the gang members prosecuted as a result of Operation Pakari was Turoirangi Atarea Harmer-Elers, the "captain" or chapter president of the Mataura Mongrel Mob. Harmer-Elers was charged with kidnapping and assault with intent to injure, relating to the vicious beating of a gang member at the pad on 9 August, 2022. He was not present at the pad at the time of the assault, but was prosecuted on the grounds that he ordered it. Justice Christine Gordon, who sentenced Harmer-Elers, said the assault happened "in the context of Mongrel Mob internal gang discipline". Harmer-Elers is now serving a prison term of three years and four months.
The Application for a Forfeiture Order
The application for a forfeiture order against the gang pad was made under the Sentencing Act, on the eve of Harmer-Elers’ sentencing appearance in the High Court at Invercargill in September this year. The application was made by Crown lawyers, who argued that the property was subject to forfeiture due to its involvement in the facilitation and concealment of serious criminal offending. The property is registered in the name of Bill Elers, Harmer-Elers’ father and a past president of the Mob chapter. A restraining order was first made against the property in March, under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act, which allows authorities to confiscate assets accumulated through significant criminal activity.
The Court’s Decision on the Forfeiture Application
The forfeiture application was not dealt with on the day that Harmer-Elers was sent to prison, and the judge asked for submissions on the application to be heard in the future. Harmer-Elers’ counsel, Ron Mansfield KC, subsequently filed submissions arguing that as the sentencing process was now complete, the court no longer had jurisdiction to hear the forfeiture application under the Sentencing Act. However, Crown counsel Sarah McKenzie submitted that the court still had jurisdiction to deal with the forfeiture matter, and Justice Gordon agreed with her. The forfeiture application will be decided at a later date, with the court set to determine whether the property should be confiscated due to its involvement in serious criminal offending.
Conclusion
The Mongrel Mob’s gang pad in Mataura, Southland, has been at the center of a number of violent crimes, including kidnappings and assaults. Authorities are now seeking to confiscate the property under the Sentencing Act, with a forfeiture order being sought. The application for the order is part of a larger effort to disrupt the activities of the Mongrel Mob and prevent further violent crimes from being committed. The court’s decision on the forfeiture application will be closely watched, with the outcome set to have significant implications for the gang and its members.