Tongan police say there is no place for gangs in the kingdom, but Police Commissioner Shane McLennan has warned that the Comancheros want to start a new chapter in the island nation.
He said there had been a clear intent for the Comancheros to expand their reach into the kingdom.
The comments came in the wake of the wave of arrests that saw 17 people, including two Comancheros, taken into custody recently.
The gang, which originated in Australia, already has a strong presence in New Zealand, with local leader Pasilika Naufahu currently serving a nine year sentence for taking part in an organised criminal group, conspiring to deal drugs, money laundering, possession of ammunition and assault. He has been denied bail because he is considered an excessive risk if released.
The Australian gang has attracted Tongan members on its home ground as well. A recent police operation led to the arrest of hundreds of gang members and associates. Among those listed as being associated with the Comancheros were several Tongans. They were:
Christian Taumoefolau, 31, alleged Sergeant-at-Arms of the Victorian Comanchero chapter.
Tevita Ofahengaue, 21, Victoria
George Afeaki, 26, Victoria
Judah Earl Lavulo, 30, was listed as a member of the Lone Wolf gang.
Edward George ‘Etu’ Lavulo, 32, NSW
History of violence
The Comancheros gang has a long history of violence and drug smuggling, with links to major drug cartels in Central and South America.
The Comancheros Motorcycle Club was formed in Sydney by Scottish immigrant William Ross in 1968.
The club was named after the John Wayne film of the same name.
Ross ran his club in almost as a military operation, demanding members do drill and forming an elite squad of the hardest and most violent members. Police considered them the most violent of Australia’s many outlaw biker clubs in the 1970s-1980s owing to their frequent brawls.
The club’s history has been marked by violent splits, links with international crime syndicates and drug smuggling. Brawling and murder have marred their reputation. In 1984 a gun battle with the American-based Bandidos left seven people dead.
In 2009 the Comancheros and Hells Angels clashed at Sydney Airport, leaving one dead. Different Commancheros chapters have clashed and relations with other gangs have descended into lethal clashes.
The gang has a long association with drug smuggling and dealing and has ties to Central and South American cartels.
Prime target
The Comancheros’ activities have spread into the Pacific as Australia has become a prime target for drug smugglers. The gang has gained a foothold in Tonga, which has become a dumping ground for Tongans convicted of criminal activities in other countries, including Comanchero members.
This follows a similar pattern in which deportees from other countries, predominantly the United States, have sought to establish a drug trade in Tonga using previous connections with gangs like the Crips. There are Tongan Crips gangs in Utah, California, Alaska and Auckland.
As Kaniva News reported earlier this week Tongan Police have arrested and charged 17 people in relation to seizure of more than six kilograms of methamphetamine, vehicles and assets linked to the Comancheros. The drugs were imported into the kingdom from the United States.
Two of those arrested are suspected gang members. Police said they had been deported from Australia and were trying to increase the presence of the gang in the kingdom.
One of them has been identified as Eneasi Taumoefolau, a senior patched member who was deported from Australia in October 2022.
The police also seized TP$12,058 in cash, firearms, ammunitions and eight vehicles.
Last week we reported that a customs officer and a Prisons officer had been arrested after investigations pointed to the smuggling of methamphetamine into Tonga was organised from within Hu’atolitoli Prison by a prisoner.
Tongan police said there was no place in Tonga for gangs.
“We will do everything in our power to bring to justice those involved in drug trafficking and money laundering,” Police said.
“Tonga Police would also like to warn the public about the increased presence and illegal activities of the Comanchero Motorcycle Gang in our community.”
