Authority rules membership in the King Cobras incompatible with security work

By S Hussain · 1 Oct, 2025 05:00 AM

A security guard has lost his licence after New Zealand’s security regulator found he was a patched member of the King Cobras gang and had misled the authority about his involvement. 

The Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority (PSPLA) cancelled the certificate of approval held by Callum Richmond following a police complaint. The authority concluded that Richmond was an active member of the King Cobras and therefore unsuitable to work in private security, where trust and freedom from criminal ties are considered essential. The decision takes effect immediately, and Richmond must return his security ID within seven days. 

The case began in early 2025, when police observed Richmond working as a crowd controller at a Ponsonby Road bar without displaying his required security identification badge. Further background checks in March 2025 linked him to the King Cobras, one of New Zealand’s most notable gangs. 

Police then complained to the PSPLA under section 74 of the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010, arguing Richmond was no longer suitable to hold a licence. 

At the August 19 hearing, police alleged Richmond was a patched member of the gang. Richmond denied this, acknowledging he had once been involved after returning from overseas as a teenager but insisting he had left gang life behind when his daughter was born seven years ago. He admitted appearing in a November 2024 photo with patched members outside the High Court during a protest against new gang patch laws, but said he was only there by chance after meeting friends. 

The authority adjourned the hearing to allow police to supply further evidence supporting their claim that Richmond was an active patched member. 

Police Submissions: 

● A 27 February 2025 social media photo posted by Richmond’s brother showing Richmond wearing a full King Cobras patch.

● Screenshots from a 2024 YouTube video of Richmond wearing the gang’s logo. Police said the logo can only be worn by fully patched members. 

● A photograph from 20 or 21 November 2024 showing Richmond in Ponsonby with gang members and making the distinctive “snake fangs” hand gesture associated with the King Cobras. 

Richmond did not dispute the new evidence, nor did he request a further hearing to challenge it. 

In its written decision, the PSPLA concluded that police had provided “undisputed evidence” of Richmond wearing clothing reserved for patched members. It ruled that Richmond was a patched member of the King Cobras and had remained actively involved in the gang during 2024 and 2025. 

The authority noted that Richmond’s denial of gang membership and claim to have left that lifestyle were inconsistent with the photographic evidence. It also found that he had misled the licensing process by downplaying his involvement, which is a breach under the Act. 

“Being a patched member of a gang such as the King Cobras is incompatible with the character and background requirements for security workers,” the decision stated. “Contrary to the evidence Mr Richmond gave at the hearing, he has not turned away from gang life … To the contrary, Mr Richmond is a patched and active member of the King Cobras.” 

The PSPLA’s decision emphasised that gang membership is fundamentally at odds with the responsibilities of a licensed security worker. 

Police evidence described how the King Cobras, one of New Zealand’s oldest gangs, have been linked to drug trafficking, fraud, violent offences, and organised crime. The gang also holds influence over nightlife venues, particularly in Auckland’s K Road and Ponsonby areas, by controlling door staff. 

Security guards associated with gangs can be used to move drugs into clubs and bars, according to police submissions. This risk makes independence from criminal organisations a critical requirement for licence holders. 

The authority agreed, finding that Richmond’s gang membership meant he could not be trusted to carry out security work responsibly.

Given the evidence, the PSPLA ruled that cancellation of Richmond’s certificate of approval was the only appropriate outcome. 

“If Mr Richmond had turned away from gang life, despite still being a gang member, I may have considered some outcome short of cancellation was appropriate,” the authority noted. “However, the more recent uncontested evidence proves that Mr Richmond was wearing his patch and actively associating himself with the King Cobras in late 2024 and early 2025.” 

It also said that providing false information during the licensing process weakens the trust in the security industry. 

The authority ordered Richmond’s licence cancelled, effective immediately. He must return his official security ID card to the PSPLA within seven days, with failure to do so constituting an offence. 

The cancellation prevents him from working in security roles such as guarding, crowd control, or private investigation. Unlike suspensions, which can sometimes be lifted after a period of good conduct, cancellation following proven gang membership leaves little prospect of returning to the industry without a new application and clear evidence of leaving gang associations behind. 

This decision comes as the government has increased focus on gang involvement in New Zealand's hospitality and entertainment industries. The Gangs Act 2024, which prohibited the public wearing of patches, was introduced to limit the visibility of gangs and reduce their threats in communities. Police activity across the industry has stepped up since the licensing, and the security industries have been required to comply through increased surveillance. 

The case shows how the licensing authority works with police to maintain standards in the security industry, which employs thousands of guards around the country. License holders are expected to have high standards of character and conduct to ensure public confidence. 

Richmond's licence has been withdrawn, and this means he cannot participate in the industry anymore. And he may still be prosecuted if he continues to work in security as a result. If he were to ever want to apply again in the future, he would have to show that he has completely distanced himself from the King Cobras and reconstructed himself, a process that would be carefully examined.

For now, the decision sends a clear message: active gang membership is incompatible with holding a security licence in New Zealand.