Gang tooling up for drug war, say police

King Cobras, New Zealand's oldest patched gang, is tooling up with Tasers and specially silenced pistols, in what police say is a war to control and tax the illicit drug trade on Auckland's streets.

The re-emergence of the predominantly Samoan-Tongan gang was dramatically highlighted yesterday when the armed offenders squad used tear gas in dawn raids on two homes in an unsuccessful bid to find Cobras member Daniel Vae, 32.

Police said he left a specially made semi-automatic handgun, a Chinese-made Taser, a bulletproof vest, methamphetamine gear, and his Cobra patch.

Detective Sergeant Callum McNeill, of Auckland Central's organised crime unit, said the King Cobras, founded in the 1950s, were increasingly arming themselves. Their favoured weapon was a compact semi-automatic.

"They are concealed in a normal laptop bag so you could carry them around in the streets of Auckland and no-one would know they are there," he said.

"We are seeing them more and more on the streets."

The .22 rifles were bought legally with licences. "The crooks are getting their hands on them, taking off the stocks, putting on pistol grips, putting on bigger magazines, and cutting down the barrel and putting on a silencer."

They are also getting Chinese Tasers, which were smuggled into the country. It is illegal to own a Taser.

"We are concerned these guys are ready for action with their vests and loaded firearms."

The Cobras operate out of a factory-like building in Pollen St, Grey Lynn, Mr McNeill said.

They had upward of 300 patched members and hundreds of associates.

"It is becoming more hand-and-hand in drug dealing, and ... taxing other drug dealers of cash."

Mr McNeill said Vae was wanted on three warrants for breaching community work orders. In 2004 he was sentenced to nearly four years' jail for presenting a firearm at a police officer.

OCU intelligence said Vae had become addicted to P and was becoming increasingly erratic.

Yesterday morning police raided the Grey Lynn home of Vae's brother and family, as well as another house in Mt Roskill.

At the latter house police found the weapon, Taser and vest.

The brother was later arrested for cannabis possession.

The Vae family denied Daniel Vae had been at the house.