Attribute to Superintendent John Price
Nine gang members have been arrested and charged following a busy fortnight for Eagle.
Firearms, quantities of drugs and ammunition were also seized following the arrests, with Eagle playing a key role in each incident.
Eagle is a valuable Police asset in response to organised crime.
The technology on board can provide Police with intelligence on gang movements and activities.
A recent incident highlighted this when Eagle observed a member of a local gang exit a vehicle holding what looked like a pistol.
Eagle provided information on the person and his movements to ground staff who could then co-ordinate a response.
When the offender fled in his vehicle, Eagle tracked it from the air, providing real time location information until responding Police stopped the vehicle and arrested him.
The man is now facing further serious charges as a result.
Eagle has supported local Police conducting search warrants on gang addresses where several members were arrested and firearms, drugs, and cash were seized.
Police staff are thrilled with the results and are very pleased to be working with such a great asset.
When the trial first started, Eagle was also used in the Canterbury township of Lincoln where eight patched gang members were seen surrounding a residential property.
All noticed Eagle above and they quickly made their way back to their vehicles and fled.
Eagle maintained observations and provided commentary on their location as ground units flooded into the area.
All three vehicles were stopped by Police.
It’s highly possible that Eagle’s presence prevented serious harm being caused at the address.
Burglary charges have been laid against three people in relation to this incident and many outstanding warrants were cleared.
All involved were local men.
One of the jobs of a more worrying nature in early March was reported as a potential kidnap and assault whereby information received by Police alleged a woman was being threatened.
Eagle dispatched and provided valuable information on the scene and movements of people.
Police ground staff arrived and contained the scene, locating four people still present - three gang members and another person.
One of the men was arrested on an active warrant and enquiries are ongoing.
Another man, a 24-year-old located at the address, will appear in court on outstanding warrants.
He had over 30 prior charges, so his arrest is a good result.
Keeping dangerous drivers off our roads is another one of our priorities.
In another job attended by Eagle an informant reported bad driving by a couple of vehicles heading towards Christchurch.
Both vehicles were linked to local gangs and Eagle maintained observations as the two vehicles continued south of Waikuku.
The Canterbury Armed Response Team (ART) team and other units were directed to the vehicles’ locations by Eagle,which were safely stopped.
Five occupants were spoken to by Police and an amount of cannabis, cash, and ammunition was recovered.
One local man will appear in court at a later date for possession of ammunition and drugs.
I would also like to acknowledge the work of ground units and Eagle after a fleeing driver and the subsequent vehicle pursuit was abandoned.
Eagle was able to follow the vehicle from the air and have ground based units cordon and contain the vehicle without the driver’s knowledge.
The offender who was caught safely by police on cordons, was a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang who has a number of convictions. The vehicle would not have been identified had it not been for Eagle.
Eagle has ensured the safety of our police staff and enabled them to be more effective and efficient but above all remain safe without the requirement to use other tactical options.
I cannot stress enough how good it is to see these gang members dealt with safely and swiftly. I believe without Eagle above us, many of the jobs would not have been concluded this quickly and we would not have been able to bring these offenders to justice.
The trial continues until Friday 20 March this year.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
