Killa Beez (gang)

Killer Beez
Founded 2003
Founder 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 plead guilty but is currently (October 2011) fighting to have that overturned.[7][8]

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.[9]

There are currently 138 members in prison,[10] and hundreds of associates.

Killer Beez music & Colourway Records

The Killer Beez controlled the record label Colourway Records[11] until all its assets were seized in 2008.[12]

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

See also

Black Power (New Zealand)

Mongrel Mob

King Cobras (gang)

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. ↑ "Killer Beez gang founder jailed for more than 10 years". The New Zealand Herald. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  10. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8773381/LA-style-gangs-fuel-problems-in-NZ-prisons
  11. ↑ "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
  12. ↑ "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.