12 Nomad outlaw bikie gang members arrested in SA and NSW
- The Advertiser
- May 29, 2015
Twelve Nomad bikie gang members have been arrested and charged with a range of offences, including solicit to murder.
FOR nine months, police have tracked the Adelaide
chapter of the Nomad outlaw bikie gang amid allegations of extortion within
its own ranks.
Today, the gang is in shreds after being smashed by a two-state police operation, and eight South Australian Nomads, including two of the gang’s highest-ranking patched members, are in jail. A ninth is on the run.
Charges against a total of 12 people include soliciting to murder, kidnapping, blackmail and assault, and police say they have dealt the gang a “significant blow”.
The group only has 10 or 12 patched members in Adelaide and The Advertiser understands it has been established in SA for about a year.
Assistant Commissioner Paul Dickson said the SA president and sergeant-at-arms, as well as the NSW-based national vice president, were arrested as part of the operation. He said the victims were other members or associates of the gang.
“All of these offences were committed as a result of the victims not undertaking the required acts set out by the Nomads,” he said.
Mr Dickson said the allegations showed what outlaw bikies were capable of, especially as the offences were allegedly committed against their own.
“They are quite happy to harm the community and they are quite happy to harm their own members if it suits them,” he said.
He said there were 10 outlaw bikie gangs operating in SA, with about 300 members.
“About 25 per cent of OMGC members are in police custody or under some sort of condition, like parole,” he said.
High-ranking outlaw bikies arrested
Director of Litigation Research Unit at the University of Adelaide David Caruso said arrests of this scale send a clear message to the club.
“The police are obviously confident they have built a significant case to say that there are at least this number of people involved in a criminal enterprise,” he said.
“With the Nomads in South Australia, where the number is not many more than the group arrested, it at least sends a message from the police – which needs to be tested in court – that says they are operating in South Australia for criminal purposes.”
As part of the operation, more than 170 officers from SA and NSW conducted raids across the two states, with 18 Adelaide properties searched.
Police will allege the offences happened in SA between November 2014 and March 2015, and the 12 arrested people were either full members, nominees, prospects or associates of the Nomads.
“These are well-organised criminal gangs driven by a culture of self-interest and violence internally and within the community,” Mr Dickson said.
“This offending also demonstrates again the cost and risks linked with being a member of, or associated with, an OMCG.”
Five South Australians, aged between 24 and 50, were arrested in NSW and have appeared in court for extradition back to their home state. Another three South Australians – from Andrews Farm, Parafield Gardens and Pennington – were arrested in Adelaide and were in court on Wednesday.
Of the four NSW residents arrested, three will face extradition to Adelaide.
Those arrested are:
■ A Clearview man, 24, will appear in the Goulburn Magistrates Court today for an extradition hearing.
He will be charged in SA with solicit to murder, two counts of aggravated blackmail, participating in criminal organisation, aggravated assault causing serious harm with intent and aggravated kidnapping.
■ An Elizabeth North man, 26, will appear in the Goulburn Magistrates Court today for an extradition hearing.
An alleged Nomad bikie gang member is arrested in NSW. Picture: NSW Police
He will be charged with aggravated assault causing serious harm with intent, false imprisonment, participating in criminal organisation and aggravated kidnapping.
■ An Andrew Farms man, 26, was charged with aggravated assault causing serious harm with intent. He appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday and was remanded in custody until August 4.
■ A Paralowie man, 50, will appear in the Goulburn Magistrates Court today for an extradition hearing.
He will be charged with aggravated assault causing serious harm with intent.
■ A Campbelltown man, 31, will appear in the Goulburn Magistrates Court today for an extradition hearing.
He will be charged with participating in a criminal organisation.
■ A Para Vista man, 40, will appear in the Goulburn Magistrates Court today for an extradition hearing.
Police-supplied images of the Nomad bikie arrests - this arrest takes place at Clearview.
Images of the arrest at Clearview.
He will be charged with aggravated assault causing serious harm with intent, false imprisonment and participating in a criminal organisation
■ A Parafield Gardens man, 37, was charged with aggravated assault causing serious harm with intent, false imprisonment, participating in a criminal organisation and aggravated kidnapping.
He appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday and was remanded in custody until August 4.
■ A Pennington man, 35, was charged with aggravated assault causing serious harm with intent, false imprisonment, participating in a criminal organisation and aggravated kidnapping.
He appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday and was remanded in custody until August 4.
■ A Sydney man, 30, has been arrested and following a court appearance will be extradited to SA to face two counts of aggravated blackmail, making aggravated threats to kill and cause harm, aggravated assault causing harm, blackmail and participating in a criminal organisation.
■ A 37-year-old man, from Kenthurst in NSW, was arrested and charged with making aggravated threats to kill and cause harm, aggravated assault causing harm and aggravated blackmail.
He has been bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on June 1.
■ A 30-year-old man, from Fletcher in NSW, was charged with making aggravated threats to kill and cause harm and aggravated assault causing harm.
He is expected to appear at an extradition hearing in NSW today.
■ A 26-year-old man, from Merrylands West in NSW, was charged with aggravated blackmail. He is expected to appear at an extradition hearing in NSW tomorrow.
Police have also issued a warrant for the arrest of a Paralowie man, 41, who is wanted in connection with this investigation.