The King Cobras are a prominent
gang
A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collective ...
in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
.
History
The King Cobras were founded by Samoans in
Ponsonby sometime in the 1950s, making them the oldest gang in New Zealand.
Initially, it was restricted to Samoans, but has since accepted other Polynesians.
The King Cobras have had a presence across South, Central, North
and
West Auckland,
Hutt Valley,
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...
and
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
.
The Cobras have proven to be very violent
and have a history of possessing firearms. They have been involved in major cases of
drug dealing
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...
,
including in
methamphetamine
Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamp ...
,
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
, and
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...
.
In 2003, members of the King Cobras ran a large methamphetamine ring along with the
Head Hunters in one of Aucklands biggest drug cases. The King Cobras have been involved in several murder cases, including that of a 15-year-old boy, and the shooting of a rival gang member, as part of a membership process.
See also
*
Gangs in New Zealand
There are numerous gangs in New Zealand, of varying criminality, organisation and ethnicity, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, street gangs and ethnically based gangs. A chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club was formed in Auckland in 19 ...
*
Black Power (New Zealand gang)
Black Power is a prominent gang in New Zealand. Members are predominantly Māori and Polynesian.
History
It was formed as the "Black Bulls" by Reitu Harris and Māori youth in Wellington about 1970, but was changed to ''Black Power'' in 1971. ...
*
Mongrel Mob
The Mongrel Mob (sometimes self-labelled as the Mighty Mongrel Mob or colloquially known as the Mob) is an organised street gang and Prison gang based in New Zealand. With a network of more than thirty chapters throughout the country and additio ...
*
Killa Beez (gang)
The Killer Beez (Killa Bees) are a large street gang based in New Zealand, mainly based in the South Auckland area. They were founded in 2003, as a large rogue street gang in Ōtara, as a spin-off of the larger "Tribesmen" gang. The Killer Be ...
References
External links
Gangs in New Zealand
Māori culture in Auckland
Māori gangs
Polynesian gangs
Polynesian-New Zealand culture in Auckland
Samoan-New Zealand culture
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