Ross Meurant: Is Our Country At Risk?

Definitely and we know why: Matthew 10.36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

But just for a moment, step beyond the mess Labour have delivered during their reign of economic ruin, rampant crime and racial division of New Zealand.

International Headlines:

- Second Ecuador politician killed in less than a week. (1)
- Ecuador election: 'I'm wearing a bulletproof vest 24 hours a day. (2)
- Ecuador election: Narco politics rule ahead of polls. (3)

These headlines must send a warning to the rest of the globe. Read the articles and it’s clear that “control” of Ecuador, Columbia, Mexico and other Central American states is increasing placed in the hands of drug cartels.

Define “control”. 

Using export facilities both private sector and government, to transport drugs.  Manipulating politicians, buying-off police.  Corruption in bureaucracies. This “control”, encouraged with bribes or enforced at the barrel of a gun or a chain saw.

Mexican and Colombian cartels have infiltrated local gangs in Ecuador as they vie for lucrative drugs routes.  Ecuador is the world's biggest banana exporter and banana crates are a favourite mode of transporting cocaine among from Ecuador's ports on to Europe and America.

As the headlines above inform the World, Politicians who oppose the cartels, die.

In the first six months of the year, there were 3,568 violent drug industry related deaths in the country, according to the Ecuador Police. That was up more than 70% on last year. Among these murders were two politicians, both of whom had taken the platform to take a stand against the cartels.

One presumes that the rulers of the prime destinations of South American drug supply via Central America cartels, i.e., Europe and America, watch closely how Ecuador deals with, but more probably copes with this problem. 

But what of the first land mass across the Pacific to the west of Ecuador and Columbia?  New Zealand and Australia?

This year alone, Main Stream Media (MSM) in NZ and Ossie has been flooded with Court appearance of drug crime related gang members.  Some cases of police corruption e.g., paid to get information, have been reported.  Many of MSM articles have carried gruesome killings, which to this point in time appear to be confined to gang turf warfare. But unquestionably, in “my assessment”, a disturbing trend emerges.

My Assessment?

As a former Armed Offenders Squad and drug squad detective who participated in the arrests of notorious killers and drug barons of the 1970s e.g., Terry Clark aka Mr Asia and Peter Fulcher, I consider that the performances of NZ and Australian police this year alone, intercepting drug supplies and arresting perpetrators, has been impressive and encouraging. However, it would be naïve to think that the power and “control” of drug cartels in Central and South America, won’t stop at the borders of Australia and New Zealand.

Whereas I have an enduring unfair reputation as a police enforcer (Red Squad), and am fiercely anti-drug running, I nevertheless have the mental acuity to contemplate, that one “cause” of the rise of gangs in NZ, and the “control” drug cartels demonstrate internationally, is “demand” for the products they control. 

Where there is demand, “supply” will find a way.  Al Capone demonstrated this during Prohibition in the States. Just as back street abortionists flourish where anti-abortion laws prevail.  Apropos this logic, in a 2011 article I raised the option of decriminalising dope. (4)

When I was a Member of Parliament, I also raised this “solution” i.e., remove the fundamental cause, but it went own like a concrete parachute.   

Back to real solutions.

At the risks of the above suggesting that I’ve lost the plot with lateral thinking and ruining my unfair reputation as a hard liner on law and order, I now revert to “real solutions”.

In light of the growing gang issue in NZ and Australia I have been debating “real solutions” with former coppers whom I remain in touch (regrettably no longer in the police bar 7^th floor Auckland Central after a brutal day’s work, but via video on our computers - cold stone sober).

“Real solutions” to the gang problems, emanating from the erudite cabal, overwhelmingly, the solution emerging from this cabal is to, “hit them hard”.

Armchair Generals? 

Drawing on their contributions, my time as AOS and drug squad detective and later as commissioned officer in charge of Auckland Criminal Intelligence Section (spies) and V.I.P. Security, if I was on a government committee set up to devise a strategy to deal with this creeping virus, what would be my contribution?

Anonymity.

Any police unit, set up to deal with drug cartel interventions in NZ (which today includes Australia) MUST have total anonymity. 

Cops seconded to the special unit (SU) would need to feign resignation to disguise their absence and protect knowledge of their transfer to SU.

As all SU personnel will be at risk of being bribed or intimidated to assist the cartels, their identities must be protected. 

SU members could not tell their mates that they were still in the police assigned to SU.

SU members would need to be single. 

SU members could not tell mum and dad.

SU members when on a raid etc, must be totally invisible i.e., facial.

SU members would never appear live in Court.

SU section leaders – because of age, would invariably be married with kids.  However, fewer of these – 1 to 5 ration – would also have to feign resignation from the police for employment in a false company. 

SU commander, would also have to follow a similar pathway to the unit.

SU commander would only liaise with police, GCSB, Customs, via the head of the department.

SU commander report only to the Prime Minister and the & Deputy PM or the minster specifically allocated responsibility.

Reasons for anonymity?

Safety of SU personnel and families.

Corruption within the police is inevitable.  No disrespect to serving or past fellow officers, but the power of substantial cash bribes cannot be ignored.  Nor can threats to a member of police or his/her family.

Once any member of the SU is identified by international gang cabal agents, that member is subject to pressure to: (a) take the money or (b) your dead or (c) your family is dead. These pressures can and do force people to betray their colleagues. 

Matthew 10:36   And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Therefore prevention, by anonymity, is essential.

Protection of the SU is the easiest component of this paradigm. Protecting the next level up, is where weakness emerges.

The Public will need to know that a Special Unit has been formed to deal with the probability of Central/South American drug cartels, infiltrating NZ and Australian gangs.

The fact that the “buck stops at the top”, ensures that the Public will conclude that the Prime Minister & Cabinet are the “top”.

Gangs will reach the same conclusion.  Therefore. To protect the Members of the Executive of NZ, prudence suggests that the Public be told that the “top” is confined to the PM, the Deputy, the police Commissioner, Head of GCSB and Head of Customs.

These office holders already have security at their call, which responds according to the level of threats.

IS ANY OF THIS LIKELY?

Relegate this prediction to the rubbish can, as many will.

However, the evidence suggests that what was a highly unlikely possibility that foreign drug cartels would ever bother about NZ, has already been modified.

Foreign drug cartels are already well entrenched in Australia. Use of NZ as a staging post for “deliveries” to bigger markets, is now a high probability.

Therefore, we either acknowledge this inevitability and plan ahead, or we fail to respond until too late – which seems to me to be where NZ is at present via-a vis radical Māori usurpation of our country.

Deep Secret

Oh! Almost forgot. 

SU Operational role, strategy and tactics? 

Yes, well that is a deep secret.

SU would be accorded special powers, but it’s the strength of the team loyalty its commitment to: “We Run This Country”.

And that is another chapter.

Ross Meurant. BA MPP Former police inspector. Former Member of Parliament. Former Hon Consul Morocco.

References:

(1) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-66508546

(2) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-66515140

(3) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-66540765

(4) https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ross-meurant-the-case-for-decriminalisation/DO3J7EI6CYH5A3GILOD4PZB52Y/