Houses, cars and $63,000 in cash seized from New Zealand couple earning just $14,900 a year

A New Zealand crime gang leader and his partner, who together had a combined annual legal income of only NZ$16,500 (approximately US$14,900), had two properties, NZ$70,000 in cash (approximately US$63,200), three cars, and a motorcycle seized by police after the man was charged with dealing methamphetamine.

The couple's identities have not been released, and the man, who is the leader of the "Mongrel Mob" gang, has had his name suppressed by the court. According to records from the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, the man's legal annual income over the past six years was approximately NZ$5,400, while his partner's legal annual income over the past seven years was approximately NZ$9,000.

In March of this year, police executed search warrants at multiple addresses associated with the couple. The man was subsequently charged with possession of methamphetamine for supply, possession of drugs in an organized criminal group, unlawful possession of a firearm, and failure to comply with a computer-related obligation. Police recovered NZ$61,495 in cash from a Louis Vuitton handbag inside one of their rented properties, and a further NZ$3,668 in cash was located elsewhere at the address. In addition, police seized a cash counting machine, a handgun, ammunition, and multiple cell phones.

Analysis of encrypted messages on the man's cell phone revealed his involvement in transactions involving 11 kilograms of methamphetamine, with a purchase price exceeding NZ$1.35 million. In addition to the cash, police seized two properties, a 1970 Ford sedan, a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro, a 2016 Mazda pickup truck, and a 2019 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

The Police Commissioner has applied to the New Zealand High Court for restraining orders on the seized items under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act. The Commissioner alleges that the couple's lifestyle was inconsistent with their income level, including expensive vacations and extensive property renovations. Judge Karen Grau stated that there were reasonable grounds to believe the couple had unlawfully benefited from significant criminal activity and granted the restraining order, which is set to expire next July. The man is scheduled to appear in the Manukau District Court in February for his next hearing.