Police have charged a man with murder for the shooting death of Mongrel Mob member Daniel Eliu in front of Manukau鈥檚 Seventh Day Adventist Church earlier this month.
Police announced the arrest of the 41-year-old male this afternoon.
His first court appearance on the charge is set for tomorrow in Manukau District Court.
Police earlier said that Eliu, a notorious member of the Mongrel Mob who also had links to the Head Hunters, appeared to have been 鈥渄eliberately targeted鈥 as he was fatally gunned down in front of the Puhinui Rd church on December 17.
The 46-year-old had been attending a graduation for the Grace Foundation, a Christian-based intensive rehabilitation programme catering to those 鈥渢ruly on the margins of New Zealand society鈥 who are seeking to put their criminal pasts behind them.
Mongrel Mob member Daniel Eliu was shot dead in Manukau earlier this month. Photo / File
Although Eliu wasn鈥檛 graduating himself that day, he had been in the programme for about six months.
The group, which holds such events each Saturday, was waiting outside the church about 10am for a Christmas meal when the shooting occurred.
The arrest comes one day after Eliu鈥檚 funeral, which included haka, barking and chants 鈥淪eig f***ing heil鈥 had police on high alert.
There were no significant issues as a result of the South Auckland tangi, police said later in the day.
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鈥淧olice continue to make inquiries to identify others involved in the fatal shooting,鈥 Detective Inspector Tofilau Fa鈥檃manuia Va鈥檃elua said today in a statement announcing the arrest.
Police are continuing to ask anyone with information on the shooting to provide a tip by calling 105 or going online at聽, clicking on the 鈥淯pdate My Report鈥 tab and citing file number 221217/6485. Anonymous tips can be provided by calling Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
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