Police raid dozens of tattoo parlours with alleged bikie links following new NSW laws

Anti-bikie squad members and Fair Trading officers swooped on 31 tattoo parlours suspected of being run by gangs in a move to drive them out of the industry.

The crackdown, which saw three parlours closed, comes after some parlours allegedly ignored new licensing laws brought in by the NSW government on October 1.

Gangs will be forced out of tattoo parlours after introduction of new laws

The laws, which state that any tattoo operator or tattoo artist must have an approved licence to operate in NSW, are being replicated north of the border after bikie violence broke out on the Gold Coast.

The police crackdown was focused on Sydney's northern and south-western suburbs, and Parramatta, which is Hells Angels territory.

 

 

A team of police arrived at four premises on Friday, including a Bankstown tattoo shop whose previous owner was gang-affiliated.

The current owner, who asked not to be named, said officers spent about 20 minutes inside the parlour and warned him about a number of issues that were "easy to fix".

"It's just to stamp out the club ownership of parlours but we're not club affiliated - I've never had any association with any club," the owner said, adding that the licensing scheme was expensive and unfair.

Ink dries on law to outlaw bikies in tattoo parlours

"It's $2100 every three years just to keep your doors open and it's $700 for each worker - it's a joke."

Gang Squad commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Wayne Hayes, said the inspections were part of an ongoing operation to enforce the state government's new licensing laws.

"We went there to enforce the provisions of the tattoo parlours act in relation to licensed operators and owners, particularly those with an OMCG affiliation," he said.

 

 

The new laws are now being considered for implementation by other states, including Queensland, where alleged bikie violence has come to national attention.

Fair Trading Assistant Commissioner Rob Vellar confirmed he met with senior counterparts in the state last week to advise on the possible implementation of the NSW scheme. "Senior NSW Fair Trading staff meet with Queensland Fair Trading policy officers after a request for advice on the operation of the NSW Tattoo Parlour legislation," Mr Vellar said.

Several parlours in NSW have closed in anticipation of the new licensing rules and have flagged moving interstate to continue operations.

The Modern Primitives studio at Tweed Heads recently posted on facebook it would possibly move "over the border". "It is 'not in the public interest' for members of an Outlaw Motorcycle Club to own or work in a tattoo studio in NSW," the business's Facebook page said.