Media personality, lawyer in court after police raid on Comanchero gang

A media personality will keep his name secret for now after being arrested when police swooped on the Comanchero Motorcycle Gang with a series of raids last month.

The 36-year-old man appeared this morning in the Auckland District Court before Judge Robert Ronayne.

He pleaded not guilty to one charge of jointly laundering about $300,000.

Judge Ronayne also continued the media personality's interim name suppression until a hearing to debate suppression issue later this month.

The court heard the media personality has also been told his job prospects are "in danger" as a result of the criminal charge.

A 41-year-old lawyer is charged with eight counts of laundering more than $2.4m and is accused of participating in the organised criminal group.

He appeared in court today and pleaded not guilty to all charges. Name suppression was also continued.

Operation Nova, the year-long police investigation into the Comanchero gang, resulted in nearly a dozen people being charged for alleged organised crime, money laundering and drug supply.

More than 80 police officers raided several Auckland properties in mid-April, which also saw some $4 million of assets seized by police, including firearms and several luxury vehicles such as a Rolls-Royce Wraith and gold-plated Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Four of those arrested in the raids also pleaded not guilty to several charges earlier this week and were named publicly for the first time.

Connor Clausen, 28, Jarome Fonua, 24, Tyson Daniels, 30, Pasilika Naufahu, 31, all said they will defend the charges.

An Auckland accountant was also arrested as part of the raids.

The 40-year-old, who is accused of laundering $275,000 in cash and cocaine possession, will appear in court again in July.

A Kiwi man in Sydney was apprehended with the help of Australian Federal Police.

The 40-year-old now faces extradition over 23 charges for drug importation and supply, participating in an organised criminal group, and money laundering.

A 48-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, who both have name suppression, were also arrested in Auckland.

They will appear in court again during the coming months.

A patched Comanchero member was the latest to be arrested as part of the police operation, with the 34-year-old accused of drugs and money laundering.

Police believe the gang was importing drugs into New Zealand and has laundered millions of dollars.

It is also understood they were assisted by notorious international drug syndicate the Sinaloa cartel, which was founded by recently imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

The Sinaloa cartel is considered the largest drug trafficking organisation in the world.

The Herald is aware of one homicide in Auckland alleged to have been committed by members of the Comancheros.

The Comancheros in New Zealand are nicknamed the "501s" because of the "character grounds" section of the immigration law used to deport many of them from Australia.

The Herald first revealed the gang's arrival in Aotearoa last year after a series of photographs were posted on social media.

The club was part of two of Australia's most infamous gang battles, the 1984 "Milperra Massacre" shooting with their rivals the Bandidos and a 2009 brawl at Sydney's international airport where a Hell's Angels member was beaten to death. (NZ Herald)