Black Power Black Power was formed about 1970 in
Wellington as the Black Bulls, and its membership is primarily
Māori and
Pasifika. It has been involved with various kinds of crime, particularly drug dealing. Its symbol is the clenched fist of the American
black power movement, and their colours are blue and black.
Nomads In 1977 the Nomads split from
Black Power.
Head Hunters MC The Head Hunters motorcycle club is one of the fastest growing motorcycle clubs in the country. It has chapters in West Auckland, Wellsford, Northland and most recently Wellington and Christchurch after patching over the Epitaph Riders. Its beginning is said to go back to 1967 and has been historically tied to
West Auckland although it maintains a presence in
Ellerslie through a senior member. In 2011 members of the motorcycle club in Wellington have patched over to become part of the Head Hunters motorcycle club.
King Cobras The King Cobras are a Central Auckland-based gang with its origins born out of the
Polynesian Panthers in the early 1970s whose ranks are predominantly
Pacific Islanders but not exclusive of others. Their reputed turf is reported to stretch from the Downtown area to
Māngere Papatoetoe and
Manurewa. The Cobras also have links and associations with activity in the far north
Moerewa Whangārei and
North Shore, and an established presence in the Hutt Valley and the
Wellington area. The gang is also known to have a presence in
Christchurch. In 2009 it was reported that members of the gang had been involved in a multimillion-dollar
methamphetamine drug ring organised within Paremoremo Prison, and previously ran another large drug ring along with the
Head Hunters. The Cobras maintained a headquarters in Ponsonby up until August 2011 as they are reported to be shifting premises.
Bandidos MC In 2012, the notorious worldwide Motorcycle Club known as the
Bandidos set up in
South Auckland and later established a second chapter in
Christchurch. The Bandidos have gone on to establish prospect chapters in
Dunedin and
Invercargill.
Hells Angels MC The Hells Angels motorcycle club founded a chapter in Auckland in 1961 and has since taken over gangs in Whanganui. New Zealand had the first chapter of the Hells Angels outside the US. It made headlines again in late 2015 when it shutdown Nelson's long-standing Lost Breed MC to stamp its mark on the city.
Highway 61 MC The Highway 61 motorcycle club was founded in 1968 and was the largest outlaw motorcycle club in New Zealand during the 1980s, 90s up until 2010. It has chapters in
Auckland, Hastings, Rotorua, Northland,
Wellington and Christchurch, and by 2008 had expanded into
Brisbane, Sydney and the Gold Coast in eastern Australia. They are mainly European and Māori in descent.
Mongrel Mob The Mongrel Mob was formed and organised in
Hastings and Wellington in the early 1960s. Originally consisting of
Pākehā youth, it became primarily Māori and Pacific Islander, like its Black Power rivals. The gang has been active in organised crime and has been involved in several murders. Its symbol is a
bulldog wearing a
German Stahlhelm, and the gang makes use of other
Nazi imagery. Their colours are red and black. The Mongrel Mob is currently the largest gang in New Zealand.
Rebels MC In 2010 members of the Australian motorcycle club the Rebels announced they would be establishing a presence in New Zealand in 2011. Rebels MC members have been sighted wearing their patches in various places throughout the
North Island in early 2011.
Road Knights MC The Road Knights motorcycle club operates in the
South Island. They are based in
Invercargill,
Timaru and
Dunedin.
Rock Machine MC At the beginning of 2014, members of the Canadian motorcycle club the Rock Machine established a Nomad chapter in New Zealand. In August of the same year they publicly announced they had established a second chapter in Christchurch.
Tribesmen MC The Tribesmen is a prominently
Māori motorcycle club formed in the 1980s in
Ōtara, they have a presence in
South Auckland and as far south as
Rotorua and
Murupara. The Tribesmen are also rivals with the Mongrel Mob.
Killer Beez The Tribesmen have a feeder youth street gang called
Killer Beez (sometimes Killer Bees, Killabeez, or KBZ), possibly a reference to the hip hop group
Killa Beez, a name given to
Wu-Tang Clan affiliates who also wear yellow and black. Killer Beez was headed by
Josh Masters, formerly a vice-president of the Tribesmen gang. Masters was one of 44 people from both gangs arrested in a police swoop in May 2008. In total, 60 Killer Beez members were arrested in an operation that involved 110,000 intercepted messages. Charges included supplying
methamphetamine, conspiracy to supply methamphetamine and
money laundering. Masters pleaded guilty but as of October 2011 was fighting to have that overturned. In 2011 Vila Lemanu was the most senior Killer Beez member not in prison, he was on the run for several months before having his conviction quashed by the
Court of Appeal and a new trial ordered. The Killer Beez controlled the
record label Colourway Records until all its assets were seized in 2008.
Red Devils MC The
Red Devils Motorcycle Club has a presence in
Mount Eden along with strong ties to the Hells Angels. In 2012 the club was involved in a high-profile anti-drug operation which later fell apart under heavy scrutiny in court. A range of charges laid against twenty one club members and associates were stayed, and later dropped altogether, in the belief that police had committed a "gross abuse of process" in posing as court officials to obtain a fake arrest warrant. The case against the club was officially dropped in early 2015 with the final charges dismissed on 1 July. Police now believe that the Nelson chapter has become a full-fledged prospect chapter of the Hells Angels. ==Other gangs==