Founded | 1950s |
---|---|
Founding location | Auckland, New Zealand |
Years active | 1950s–present |
Ethnicity | Polynesian |
Membership (est.) | 400 [1] |
Criminal activities | Drug dealing, assault, murder |
Allies | Bloods, Crips, Black Power, Central Auckland street gangs |
The King Cobras are a prominent Pacific gang in New Zealand. [2]
The King Cobras were founded by Samoans in Ponsonby sometime in the 1950s, making them the oldest gang in New Zealand. [3] Initially, it was restricted to Samoans, but has since accepted other Polynesians. [3] The King Cobras have had a presence across South, Central, [4] North [5] and West Auckland, [6] Hutt Valley, Wellington, [7] Dunedin [8] and Christchurch. [9]
The Cobras have proven to be very violent [3] and have a history of possessing firearms. [10] They have been involved in major cases of drug dealing, [3] including in methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. [6] In 2003, members of the King Cobras ran a large methamphetamine ring along with the Head Hunters in one of Aucklands biggest drug cases. [11] [12] The King Cobras have been involved in several murder cases, including that of a 15-year-old boy, [13] and the shooting of a rival gang member, as part of a membership process. [14]