Victoria has become a refuge for bikie thugs trying to escape much tougher laws across the border

Victoria’s bikie landscape has changed over the past five years, according to a senior police inspector.

 

UPDATE: BIKIES are using Victoria as a refuge against tough anti-­Outlaw Motorcycle Gang laws in other states, senior police have confirmed. 

Detective Inspector Ian Campbell, the head of the anti-OMCG Echo taskforce, said Victoria’s bikie landscape had changed dramatically in the past five years.

Insp Campbell said it was now evident tougher laws in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia had pushed gang members into Victoria.

He said there were now 26 clubs with between 1200 and 1400 members in Victoria.

MICK MURRAY: No-nonsense former bouncer and Comanchero president who last year swore to step away from the gang as part of strict bail conditions. Murray was a quiet achiever in Sydney’s frenetic bikie scene before moving to Melbourne. 

 

The Hells Angels, he said, still viewed themselves as the pre-eminent outfit with a network of feeder clubs available to do their “dirty work”.

The Bandidos, he said, were well-organised, with links to Mexican drug cartels and a heavy influence in the security and debt-collecting industries.

The Mongols were aggressively recruiting, having patched 50 members within the state’s prison system.

TOBY MITCHELL: Former Bandido enforcer who is currently behind bars on extortion, blackmail, assault and threat to kill charges. He has survived two attempts on his life. 

 

Police are faced with the ominous prospect of those members being released in coming years, among them senior Mongol bikie figure Mohammed Akbar Keshtier.

“He has told prison staff he will be the No.1 criminal when he gets out of jail,” one investigator said.

There seems no end to the recruiting power of the gangs, said detective Sen-Sgt Wayne Cheesman, of Echo.

Even successful operations like the Attero joint operation run against the Rebels had not stopped that gang’s membership expanding.

“They say they can’t keep up with demand,” Sen-Sgt Cheesman said.

“How do we stop these ­people wanting to join?”

But as time goes on, the ­motive for bikies’ use of force remains the same.

“They will do anything to retain this money and this power. It is a business ­machine,” Sen-Sgt Cheesman said.

“It’s all about the money. They’re not going to give that up.”

A graphic demonstration came when Comanchero members raided the home of a low-level drug dealer they viewed as costing them money.

He was severely assaulted before the bikies turned on the kettle and poured boiling water over him.

“They said, ‘You will now buy your drugs from us’,” Sen-Sgt Cheesman said.

Cash may be king but ­machismo and perception remain important in their little world.

One senior bikie figure grew strangely upset at a series of major raids on a rival outfit.

“You made them look badder than us. You need to raid us,” the office-bearer said.

Detective Superintendent Nigel Ryan, of the Australian Federal Police national anti-gangs ­office, said the gangs were a key linkage between trans­national crime networks.

And they were increasingly using South East Asian countries to find a haven.

“They are restricted by no borders,” Supt Ryan told the conference.

Victoria’s Attorney General Martin Pakula said a national approach was needed to tackle bikies’ criminal activities.

“Absolutely, it’s always been a view of Victorian Labor that there should be a national approach to outlaw motorcycle gangs in the same way that there’s a national approach to counter-terrorism,” Mr Pakula told 3AW today.

heraldsun.com.au 16 Mar 2015

The corporate media distracting the masses from another serious and important issue that being, one of the most corrupt organisations in the state.

An organisation with approximately 300 'stations' across the state, where over 60% of the 10,000 strong population has 'admitted' to committing criminal activity is in charge of 'law enforcement' in the state.

The organisation is called Victoria Police.

They are committing 'white collar' (administrative) crimes, theft of monies, extortion and in collusion with another criminal organisation, that being the 'Sheriff's Office of Victoria', where hundreds of millions of dollars are extorted from the general populous annually.

These 'facts' are totally omitted by the corporate media.

Why is that so Mr. Murdoch's media publication?