The leader of the Hastings Mongrel Mob Rex Timu has banned methamphetamine from his chapter.
A decision the gang leader admits was unpopular and caused some backlash amongst his members.
“I got a lot of negative feedback, I was expecting that,” says Timu “it’s a big money maker but for me looking at the destruction of the families really put me on the case of I really have to do something about this.”
Timu has been the president of his chapter for eleven years and says he has been able to reduce those members addicted from 80 percent down to 10 percent.
Tonight the 50-year-old tells Native Affairs why he has filed a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal on behalf of his chapter calling the New Zealand Health system racist.
Timu says the Crown has failed to provide the care and rehabilitation that people need to get off P, including the Mongrel Mob.
“There is racial prejudice against us, people like me because we are different, we wear different clothes, we may look different wearing tattoos and all that. So people will look at us straight away and say these guys are different so why should we help them?”
Native Affairs will screen the full story tonight at 8pm tonight on Māori Television.