A Mongol gang member will appear in the Christchurch District Court today charged with blackmail.
The 37-year-old man was one of two arrested as part of an ongoing police operation targeting organised crime groups.
Detective Inspector Scott Anderson of Christchurch CBI said the gang member allegedly threatened to burn a person’s property in an attempt to obtain thousands of dollars.
Another man, a 36-year-old, will appear in Court later this month charged with blackmail, offering to supply class A and B controlled drugs and conspiracy to commit burglary. He was currently remanded in custody.
The man was a patched member of the Mongols gang at the time of the blackmail.
Police alleged that on multiple occasions between May and June, the offender made threats towards the victim’s partner and young children.
The threats enabled the man to obtain tens of thousands of dollars from the victim.
Police believe others were involved in the offending and are following a number of strong leads.
Detective Inspector Anderson said police have concerns about gang members using their gang membership as a means of intimidation to facilitate offending.
“Blackmailing is a common tactic used by organised criminal groups to attempt to raise revenue and gain influence.
Police believe these are not isolated incidents and that there are other victims of this offending in Christchurch.
Sometimes people find themselves feeling vulnerable or compromised for a variety of reasons. That’s when people can become victims of blackmail or extortion.
If you, or someone you know, has been subjected to this type of behaviour, please tell us. You can trust us to deal with your complaint in a way that keeps you and your family safe.
You can be confident that where possible we will hold these offenders to account.”
Further charges are likely Detective Inspector Anderson said.
If for whatever reason you do not want to speak to Police directly, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online via www.crimestoppers-nz.org
