A few hours later, Fakaosilea was overheard talking to a friend in the Mongols gang (who also happened to be under surveillance) and showed him a photo on his phone screen. Operation Cincinnati was a months-long investigation into the distribution of illegal drugs by the Comancheros in Auckland and the Rebels gang in Christchurch. The lockdown meant Operation Cincinnati also ground to a halt, unable to conduct surveillance or any other investigative techniques, for fear of being caught. Eighteen minutes later, Mathers and Singer came out with their hands up. The National Organised Crime Group decided to wrap up Operation Cincinnati and terminated the investigation on December 2, 2020.

Source: New Zealand Herald December 04, 2022 06:00 UTC