Police have charged a second person with blackmail relating to the same complaint.

It follows the arrest last month of a 36-year-old man who was a patched member of the Mongol gang.

A 28-year-old woman will appear in the Christchurch District Court on 8 September, charged with being a party to the offence of blackmail.

Detective Inspector Scott Anderson said police allege that on multiple occasions between May and June, the man made threats of violence towards the victim’s partner and young children.

As a result of the threats, the victim transferred tens of thousands of dollars into the woman’s bank account.

“Organised criminal groups often use intimidation tactics to extort money from members of the public and raise revenue.

Anyone who assists gangs in their offending can expect to be held to account.”

This arrest comes after police arrested a 25-year-old woman last month for conspiring to commit commercial burglaries with the same patched member of the Mongols.