Gun Concerns: Two Arrested After Reports of Firearms in Car on Auckland Highway

Two people are in custody following reports of a firearm in a vehicle on Auckland’s South Expressway.

Inspector Jason Homan’s police were informed of the vehicle near Epsom shortly after 5 p.m.

He said investigations were ongoing and the charges were being considered.

Inspector Homan says people can be sure that these incidents are being taken seriously.

The Weekend Herald today revealed that worsening gun violence related to gang turf wars, illicit drugs and the insidious cancer of organized crime has left more than 350 people with gunshot wounds across Auckland in five years.

More than half of the injured were treated at Middlemore Hospital when violence in south Auckland spilled into bloodshed, leaving scores of people dead and dozens fighting for their lives.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has serious concerns about the increasing use of firearms. He has written to the Minister of Police and will be meeting with Deputy Commissioner of Police John Tims next week to discuss how to address the spate of shootings and the toxic impact of gangs.

“There is no single solution, but it is necessary to pull all available levers to stop the worsening of gang violence and the misuse of firearms in criminal and gang activity.”

Among the victims this year is Zane Smith, 37, who was shot in a car in Wellsford last weekend.

A 21-year-old woman has been charged with being an accessory to the murder and a 45-year-old man has been charged with murder.

Police Officer Matthew Hunt was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in Massey in June.

And nearly a year after Favona’s grandmother, Meliame Fisi’ihoi, 57, was shot to death on her Calthorp Close property in an apparent case of mistaken identity, her killer continues to flee.

Figures released exclusively to the Herald by the city’s three district health boards under the Official Information Act show that medical staff at Auckland’s major hospitals have treated 355 people for firearm injuries since January 2016.

The documents also show that 13 child shot victims have received treatment at Starship Children’s Hospital since 2016.

Goff said that the police had put more officers on the streets of Auckland in recent years and used the Assets of Crime Act to attack gang riches and make organized crime less attractive.

“Both measures are useful in reducing violence in our city, but the levels of violence reported remain worrying.

“We as Auckland residents and New Zealanders do not expect to see this level of firearm incidents.”

Manukau DHB counties have repaired more than half of the shooting victims (217), Auckland DHB 97 and Waitematā DHB 41.