Police raids shut down parts of the small Waikato town of Te Kuiti on Wednesday as the armed offenders squad moved in.
Cordons have been set up and numerous properties searched in the early morning operation.
"There are a series of planned search warrants being carried out in the Te Kuiti area in relation to recent offending in the community. AOS is assisting as a precaution," a police spokesperson told Newshub.
Newshub understands the operation came after a huge spike in gang activity in the area.
Waitomo District Council Mayor Brian Hanna says police are looking to crack down on a specific group of people who've been causing serious trouble.
"We've had a period of probably the last three or four weeks of some pretty serious intimidation by a small sector in our community," he told RadioLIVE.
He won't comment on their affiliation, but says the "main perpetrator was new to the area and had some accomplices with him".
Mr Hanna says Police are looking to arrest half a dozen or so offenders, and hopes they managed to nab all their targets.
"We're right behind them as a community. We're pretty fed up with some of the tactics used by this small group in terms of intimidation and crime," he told RadioLIVE.
"As a community we don't want to tolerate that, so we're really behind the police and their actions."
Newshub.
