-
SHOW OF FORCE: Officers from Strike Force Raptor have swooped on the headquarters of Gunnedah’s Gladiators outlaw motorcycle gang. Photos: Gareth Gardner 040414GGE10/
POLICE have shut down a prominent outlaw
motorcycle gang’s clubhouse in an extraordinary show of
force, with dozens of specialist officers storming the
Gunnedah compound.
Strike Force Raptor officers – the force’s dedicated bikie gang squad based in Sydney – moved in on the Gladiator’s headquarters in Bloomfield St backed by local police in a secret daylight operation on Friday.
Three Gladiator bikies were ordered onto the ground as more than 30 officers pounced in numbers, before a dog swept through the club, and armed police secured the area.
Five men in total – two service club volunteers operating a barbecue along with three bikies – were put against a wall, their identity confirmed and every part of their body and clothing searched for illegal weapons and drugs.
The head of the operation, Oxley Inspector Jeff Budd, made no apologies for the tough stance.
“These clubs are run by outlaw motorcycle gangs, they are not in the country for the fresh air, and the home cooked meals. They are criminally active, they are out here doing their business, and they are a threat to our community,” he said.
As well as Raptor officers, the Western Region’s riot squad, a drug dog, general duties dog, detectives, highway patrol, the rescue squad, licensing and Oxley police backed the operation which was timed to coincide with the gang’s poker ride on Saturday.
“Anyone that wants to be involved in an outlaw motorcycle gang is there for one reason and one reason only and that’s criminal activity,” Inspector Budd said.
“We expected there would be large numbers of outlaw motorcycle gang members attending. We’ve dismantled their club, we’ve taken their party away so I suppose time will tell.”
Inspector Budd said the outlaw motorcycle gangs hid illegal activities behind the guise of club membership.
“At this point in time we take everything that is involved with the premises being involved in partaking of restricted illegal activities, so everything, every piece of content inside that building has been seized,” Inspector Budd said.
Police confirmed all but one of the five men were local, while the remaining identifies as a Gladiator member from another chapter.
Police raid bikie clubhouse in Gunnedah
Police detain persons at the Gladiators bikie clubhouse in Gunnedah on Friday. Photos: Namoi Valley Independent
Police made no apology for their heavy-handed approach during a raid on a bikie clubhouse in Gunnedah on Friday.
Specialist police teams from Strike Force Raptor in Sydney and police from across the western region stormed the Gladiators clubhouse on Bloomfield Street about 1pm on Friday.
"Police executed a search warrant issue on a local OMCG (outlaw motorcycle gang) club house where police will allege the illegal supply of alcohol has occurred here over an extended period of time," Inspector Jeff Budd from Oxley Local Area Command said.
"As a
result we’ve entered the premises and searched
numerous members of the OMCG club."
Officers dismantled the club house and seized everything inside including a large quantity of alcohol.
"These clubs are run by OCMG
gangs, they’re not in the country for the fresh air
and home cooked meals."
"We take
everything involved, anything inside that building
is seized," Insp Budd said.
"At this time there has been no
arrests, one person has been dealt with in terms of
an illicit drug and that person will receive a
process there."
He added that operations as such
require a heavy police presence.
"Certainly we don’t take these actions lightly, there’s a lot of preparation, clearly there’s risk to the police and the community in terms of these operations, so they’re well planned," he said.
"These clubs are run by OCMG gangs, they’re not in the country for the fresh air and home cooked meals, they’re criminally active.
"They’re organised crime and they’re not here for the benefit of this community or any other, they’re here to ply their trade."
Read more in Tuesday's Namoi Valley Independent.