An entire Comancheros chapter has been convicted and police say its Christchurch presence effectively ended after an operation seized 5kg of Class A drugs, 11 firearms and more than $250,000 in cash across the country.
Twenty-nine people, including every member of the Christchurch chapter of the Comancheros Motorcycle Club, have now been convicted following Operation Avon, a seven-month investigation led by the National Organised Crime Group (NOCG) and Asset Recovery Unit.
The operation identified a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking network running from Invercargill to Auckland, and culminated in nationwide search warrants in August 2024.
Alongside the drugs, firearms and cash, police restrained more than $1.9 million in assets, including an Auckland property and 11 vehicles.
Acting Detective Inspector Phil Sparks said the gang had moved drugs between Auckland and Christchurch every few weeks, with distribution as far south as Invercargill.
"This operation has significantly disrupted the Comancheros' ability to establish and maintain a foothold in Canterbury and has had a major impact on the drug supply chain across New Zealand."
Sparks said more than $1 million worth of drugs had been trafficked between the North and South Island, equivalent to an estimated $15 million street value.
The Christchurch chapter had become a priority target for the NOCG, supported by Canterbury Police, due to its significant involvement in drug distribution and money laundering. A related investigation, Operation Leith, later identified a further eight people in the southern South Island involved in criminal activity.
Those charged were aged between 18 and 55 and faced a range of drug-related offences. All have now been convicted.
Crucially, the arrest and conviction of every member of the Christchurch chapter has effectively ended the Comancheros' presence in Christchurch and significantly weakened their influence across the wider South Island," Sparks said.
He added that by restraining criminal assets and cash, police had dealt a substantial blow to the group's ability to regroup, re-establish drug supply networks, and continue offending.
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