Thousands of people have been arrested in the first year of a major police crackdown on Aotearoa's gangs.
1News can exclusively reveal that nearly 40,000 charges have been laid with over 8300 people arrested to date as part of Operation Cobalt, which was originally set up after an intensive spate of Killer Beez and Tribesmen-linked shootings in Auckland last year.
Police said the arrests include patched gang members, gang prospects and gang associates.
Over 400 firearms have been seized and more than 1100 search warrants executed.
Detective Superintendent Uraia Vakaruru, the officer in charge of the operation, told 1News that seizing prized possessions — for example, a gang member's motorbike — "tends to really send a strong message".
Vakaruru said Mongrel Mob Barbarians, Mangu Kaha Black Power, Mongols, Greazy Dogs, Comancheros and Hells Angels members were all caught in the crackdown.
"On any measure, that's been successful," sociologist Jarrod Gilbert said.
But Vakaruru described the operation as "just focusing on the business at hand".
"I think the organisation just gets on with our business, you know," he said.
In the same time frame, police have issued over 51,000 traffic infringement notices linked to the operation, many at gang gatherings.
Those infringement notices are a key part of the crackdown, as police gather intel and look for the offenders.
"It opens up a whole lot of doors and opportunities for us," Vakaruru said.
But Gilbert warns it won't address the fundamental issue.
"Anyone who thinks that this is how we solve the gang problem is naive, I'm afraid," he said.
"Unless we tackle the drivers of gang membership over the medium to long term, these operations are important but not the fix."
Auckland councillor Alf Filipaina, a former officer, said the Government needs to be funding more youth workers.
"I've seen the impact myself when I was in the police," he said.
And Vakaruru agreed that there are other factors to consider.
"The gang problem is a really complex issue and that's not just a police-only issue."
It comes as Operation Cobalt has been extended to February.
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