Head Hunter funeral: Gangsters arrive north of Foxton after 500km journey to farewell William ‘Bird’ Hines

Police have arrested a minimum of two individuals, issued a number of tickets and caught a drink-driver as a part of their effort to watch a 500km funeral trip throughout the North Island.

Members of three gangs set off on their mass funeral trip from the Head Hunters’ East headquarters in Auckland this morning for what some anticipated to be the largest gang tangi in New Zealand historical past.

The gang is farewelling feared and revered Head Hunter William “Bird” Hines, with their trip from Auckland to Foxton north of Wellington.

About 60 bikies made the journey, police mentioned, and so they reached their vacation spot at Motuiti marae about 7.30pm. The police focus now turns to conserving peace in and round Foxton over the subsequent couple of days.

The procession was being monitored by the police Eagle helicopter, after fears it might deliver the visitors community to its knees.

About 100 motorcyclists have been reported to be driving collectively at one level within the day, Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson mentioned.

Johnson mentioned the variety of riders had “swelled and reduced” because the procession continued down the nation.

Police impounded one motorbike and seized a stolen automotive. Johnson mentioned a number of individuals have been arrested associated to the seizures.

Police additionally gave out a number of tickets and failed one person on an evidential breath check.

“Our expectations around behaviour have been made very clear,” Johnson mentioned. “Those travelling and attending any of the procession … need to know police will act on any unlawful activity.”

More than 100 cops have been deployed to watch the trip and Johnson mentioned a big police presence would stay “through the next phases” of their response and as required.

He addressed the riders instantly: “Attend and go about your business in a lawful way and I’m sure this will go off with the appropriate respect for the deceased and the family.”

He requested members of the general public to report any illegal behaviour they could see.

“The safety of the public is our absolute priority,” Johnson mentioned.

Before mounting their bikes this morning, gang members carried out a haka in entrance of a giant crowd gathered on the pad that additionally included gangsters from the Killer Beez and King Cobras.

The procession left from the Marua Road property, heading onto State Highway 1 close to the Ellerslie-Panmure Highway, earlier than heading south. Hundreds of individuals lined Marua Rd.

Earlier, a hearse and as many as 100 patched members have been exterior the pad, with a few of these attending approaching motorbikes and others in sports activities vehicles.

Police deployed massive numbers of officers to man street checkpoints on both facet of the East chapter pad.

These have been used to verify automobiles leaving the world.

The police helicopter has additionally been tasked with following the procession.

“The police helicopter, Eagle, has been deployed to monitor movements through the roading network and to provide support during this operation in other police districts.

“Given the volume of traffic heading south, police are advising motorists that there may be some disruptions in parts of their journey. We have deployed extra staff to support this operation both on the roads and for its duration.”

Few members of the general public have been on the road, with solely these gathering for the funeral trip mingling and embracing.

Police fireplace warning shot

Police this morning mentioned they are going to be “highly visible” within the coming days and can have further assets on the roads “to target illegal behaviour and to mitigate disruption to the public as much as possible”.

They anticipate that gang members will trip between Auckland and Foxton, and different teams will journey north to Foxton from southern areas.

Assistant Commissioner Johnson mentioned police had been speaking with Head Hunter members to allow them to know precisely how they’re anticipated to behave on public roads.

“Police will have increased staff deployed on the roading network across these regions, and we anticipate checkpoints to be established in some areas to ensure those taking part are adhering to the law,” Johnson mentioned.

”Our expectations are very clear round no tolerance for illegal exercise that places the broader group in danger.

“Community safety is paramount for police.”

Johnson mentioned police have been acutely aware that further visitors on the roading community might imply some delays to journey.

”Anyone who is perhaps involved for his or her security, or who witnesses criminal activity, ought to contact police as quickly as doable,” he mentioned.

The public could make studies to police by calling 105 or going surfing at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105.

Information will also be reported anonymously via Crime Stoppers by calling 0800 555 111.

The Herald earlier reported that police met this week over fears about how the trip would progress whereas beneath political stress from the brand new authorities.

Hines’ physique was anticipated to be taken from the East chapter pad at 232 Marua Rd on a remaining trip round Auckland, accompanied by bikers from the Head Hunters and numerous different outlaw motorbike golf equipment.

The procession then made the more-than-500km journey south.

Hines comes from the Foxton space and is predicted to be buried alongside different members of the family on the Motuiti Marae urupā at Hīmatangi north of Foxton, on or about Monday.

Yesterday, Head Hunters have been gathering en masse on the Ellerslie pad, watched by a big contingent of police stationed up and down the street and on facet streets. A gentle stream of members, their whānau and supporters have been arriving on the membership to supply meals and koha and pay their respects.

New marquees have been put up, together with indicators bearing the phrase “In Bird We Trust”, by which Hines is already immortalised on the wall of the membership’s interior sanctum inside Marua Rd.

Hines’ lengthy prison historical past

Hines was serving a 17-year jail sentence for operating a methamphetamine syndicate, however was launched by the Parole Board late final yr on compassionate grounds.

He was residing with kind 2 diabetes, which required dialysis each second day and resulted in limb amputation, coronary heart illness and end-stage renal failure.

Hines was launched from jail shortly earlier than his seventieth birthday, and had been residing with a member of the family who offered 24/7 care in his remaining months.

A earlier Parole Board determination famous Hines needed to “make peace with his whānau as a consequence of his offending history on them”.

Hines’ prison historical past stretches again to a minimum of 1989, when he was caught with a loaded pistol within the lounge bar of a lodge. Pistols are prized within the prison underworld, a weapon of standing.

It was an indication of issues to come back for the then-36-year-old.

A number of years later, he was convicted of kidnapping a person at gunpoint, then torturing him with pliers and an electrical drill in a storage, due to a supposed debt.

The responsible verdict got here regardless of the sufferer refusing to present proof.

In sentencing Hines to 4 years’ jail, Justice Robertson mentioned nobody was above the legislation.

Five years later, Hines and two different Head Hunters confronted an undercover police officer and held him at knifepoint.

“If you do not prove you are not a cop, then you are not leaving here,” was how Crown prosecutor Kieran Raftery recounted the dialog on the 1996 trial.

Again, Hines was convicted of kidnapping and jailed for 12 months.

But it was the profitable earnings of methamphetamine that took Hines from menacing stand-over man to the large time.

He was one of many ringleaders of a community who dubbed themselves the “Methamphetamine Makers Co Ltd”, alongside notorious financial institution robber Waha Safiti and meth prepare dinner Brett Allison.

The trio have been planning to separate a batch of methamphetamine to yield a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars}.

The business companions have been busy falling out when police swooped in 2000 following Operation Flower.

Bugged conversations have been performed on the trial through which Saifiti and Hines have been recorded speaking about “whacking” individuals.

“Rest assured, we will not be made to look like fools here,” mentioned Saifiti. “We will just whack anybody who needs to be whacked … Whack him straight on the spot.”

After the raids throughout Auckland, police discovered the remnants of Allison’s lab in Henderson.

The 2000 litres of chemical substances concerned made it one of many largest — and probably most explosive — drug laboratories ever discovered. It took officers carrying respiration equipment seven days to tug aside.

In sentencing Hines, Justice Mathew Downs made particular point out of the “sinister nature” of the firearms and medicines discovered contained in the storage unit.

“This careful packaging, the nature and collection of articles, and the rental of the unit on the same day as the manufacture of the methamphetamine imply this was the work of an organised criminal enterprise. You led that enterprise,” Downs mentioned to Hines.

“And although you were careful to act from behind the scenes, I am sure you directed this offending … You sat atop an organisation which made a very large amount of methamphetamine and intended to make more.”

At the time of his arrest, the Head Hunters have been run by a committee led by Doyle and Hines, in keeping with Detective Inspector Kevin McNaughton, a former head of the police Motorcycle Gang Unit who gave proof on the trial.