Killa Beez (gang)

Killer Beez
Founded 2003
Founded by Josh Masters
Founding location Otara
Years active 2003-present
Territory Otara
Ethnicity predominantly Māori, Polynesian and European
Allies "Tribesmen", Crips, "Bad Troublesome Ward"[1]
Rivals Bloods,[2] Mongrel Mob

The Killer Beez (Killer Bees) are a large Maori 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 Otara,[3] as a spin-off of the larger "Tribesmen" gang.

The Killer Beez are maintained and controlled by the "Tribesmen" and members eventually join over to the "Tribesmen".[4]

The Killer Beez were formerly headed by Josh Masters,a well-known Kickboxer, also a former vice-president of the Tribesmen. Masters was one of 42 people from both gangs arrested in a police sting in May 2008. In total 60 Killer Beez were arrested an operation[5] which involved 110,000 intercepted messages.[6] Charges included supplying methamphetamine, conspiracy to supply methamphetamine and money laundering. Masters pleaded guilty but fought to have that overturned,[7][8] but failed.[9]

On 3 August 2012 Masters was sentenced to 10 years and 5 months in prison for organizing drug deals after police intercepted thousands of his coded phone conversations.[10]

There are currently 138 members in prison,[11] and hundreds of associates.

Killer Beez music & Colourway Records

The Killer Beez controlled the record label Colourway Records[12] until all its assets were seized in 2008.[13]

Killer Beez and Colourway records has released several big titles, some of which include Young Sid and Gravity (Josh Masters).

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=bad+troublesome+ward&oq=bad+troublesome+ward&aqs=chrome..69i57.4254j0j1&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8
  2. ↑ https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=moerewa+raids&oq=moerewa+raids&aqs=chrome..69i57.2111j0j1&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8#q=killer+beez+gang
  3. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/273458/Killer-Beez-diss-stings-Dawn-Raid
  4. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2859299/Killer-Beez-a-school-for-gangstas
  5. ↑ Laxon, Andrew (2 July 2011). "Out in force on the mean streets". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 8 October 2011. But in 2008 police smashed both gangs wide open with a six-month cannabis and methamphetamine sting operation that arrested 60 Killer Beez members and put many of the gang's leaders in jail.
  6. ↑ Stickley, Tony (2011). "Police bugs track 110,000 gang messages". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 8 October 2011. Police intercepted more than 110,000 phone and text messages between the Killer Beez and Tribesmen gang members during a major three-month drug operation in South Auckland and the Waikato.
  7. ↑ "Gang boss badly beaten in prison". stuff.co.nz. 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  8. ↑ Gay, Edward (28 September 2011). "Killer Beez boss seeks to have guilty plea revoked". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  9. ↑ "Josh Masters runs Killer Beez gang from prison". stuff.co.nz. 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "Killer Beez gang founder jailed for more than 10 years". The New Zealand Herald. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  11. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8773381/LA-style-gangs-fuel-problems-in-NZ-prisons
  12. ↑ "New Zealand Parliament - Crimes Amendment Bill, Local Government Amendment Bill, Sentencing Amendment Bill (No 3) — Third Readings". parliament.nz. 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011. I ask members to consider a gang called the Killer Beez. It has its own hip-hop record label called Colourway Records. What does it do? It makes music videos—recruitment advertisements for gangs, thinly disguised as music videos, that are played on mainstream
  13. ↑ "44 in dock after drug raids". nzherald.co.nz. 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011. During the operation, police seized $200,000 in cash, 538g of pure methamphetamine with a street value of more than $500,000, nearly 400g of cannabis, 15 vehicles under the Proceeds of Crimes Act, 12 firearms and all the assets from the business premises of Colourway Records in Otara.
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