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Taskforce Maxima nab Comancheros patched bikie member after gunshot and assault at Broadbeach

BIKIE violence has returned to a central Gold Coast tourist area with an alleged gunshot, serious assault and missing ­victim in Broadbeach.

Almost three years after the infamous central Broadbeach bikie brawl, police have arrested a member of the Comancheros, one of Australia’s most violent criminal motorcycle gangs, after an incident at Aria Holiday Apartments on Sunday night.

Police, who scoured hospitals yesterday trying to find the victim, were called to the 25-storey Aria tower on Albert Ave after reports of a gunshot at 8pm on Sunday.

Aria Holiday Apartments where police from bikie-busting squad Taskforce Maxima are investigating an alleged gunshot incident, and serious assault. Picture: Supplied

The Aria, popular with tourists and where star Gold Coast Titans signing Jarryd Hayne stayed until recently, is around the corner from dining precinct Surf Pde.

Bikie-busting police squad Taskforce Maxima is handling the investigation. Detectives descended on the Aria yesterday morning.

Taskforce Maxima commander Mick Niland said a 30-year-old patched member of the Comancheros was allegedly involved and police were still trying to locate the victim.

“We are continuing our investigation in relation to a shot being fired and a serious assault at the unit,” Mr Niland said. CCTV footage indicated the victim had serious head and facial injuries but he would not say whether they were from the gunshot.

“It is clear one of the people is a Comanchero. The community do not want to see outlaw criminal motorcycle gangs or the Comancheros relocating to the Gold Coast.

“We know they are trying to establish themselves on the Gold Coast. There is only a handful but we would rather that be zero.”

 

Mr Niland said a small quantity of cannabis had been found and the detained Commanchero would face a possession of dangerous drugs charge early next month.

He would not comment on specifics around the shot fired.

“All I want to say is (the shot) was in the vicinity of the unit,” he said.

“An investigation is being carried out to establish what the motive was.”

Earlier, a police spokesman said a bullet casing was found at the scene but not the bullet.

Two months ago, the Gold Coast Bulletin revealed Comancheros gangsters had resurfaced in the city for the first time in 20 years.

At the time, police sources said five members had been seen in Burleigh Heads in full gang colours.

In September 2013, about 50 Bandidos faced off against police amid family diners in the Broadbeach bikie brawl.

It was the catalyst for the then-Newman government introducing tough anti-association laws, blocking bikie gang members gathering in groups of three or more.

A planned Labor Government overhaul of the Newman anti-bikie laws has sparked fears bikies will make a public return to the Coast, but Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath last night said the Government planned to introduce “strong new laws to tackle organised crime in all its forms into ­parliament in the very near ­future”.

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