Photo: RNZ / John Edens
The first Northlanders to be charged with breaching the new gang patch ban have appeared in Whangārei District Court.
The new law, which bans gang patches in public places, came into force in November.
The two men were arrested after separate incidents and appeared in court on Wednesday charged with prohibited display of gang insignia in a public place.
Both were remanded on bail and are due back in court in the New Year.
A police spokesman said a 27-year-old man was arrested in Whangārei on 29 November after an officer saw him wearing a hooded sweatshirt with gang insignia.
The sweatshirt was seized.
A 39-year-old man was arrested in Ōtangārei on 6 December, after police followed up a report about a man allegedly wearing a T-shirt with gang insignia at a petrol station in Tikipunga on 1 December.
According to the Ministry of Justice, Te Hira Paewhenua is due back in court on 6 January and Rewi Nathan on 8 January.
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