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~Road Scholars~
[OZ] Bikie gangs now keeping their heads down
Fri Dec 10, 2004 2:20pm
4.154.4.135
Bikie gangs now keeping their heads down
By NIGEL HUNT
December 11, 2004
NO longer do they think they own the streets. Reined in over the past four years
by relentless police attention, Adelaide's 250 motorcycle gang members are
keeping their heads down.
The public gunfights, the bashings and the extreme anti-social behaviour – once
a common occurrence as disputes between rival gangs flared – now are relatively
rare events.
The bikies know only too well public displays of violence only focus more police
attention on their illegal, and highly lucrative, criminal activities.
This noticeable change in persona – and the resultant increase in public safety
– can be attributed largely to the efforts of the police Avatar outlaw
motorcycle gang section.
Formed in 2001 in response to a spate of bikie violence – including a shoot-out
at the Elizabeth Magistrates Court – Avatar has been successful at not only
modifying their behaviour but also disrupting their illegal activities.
The 20-member unit has chalked up some impressive figures. There have been 268
arrests of gang members and another 258 arrests of other individuals for
offences ranging from firearms possession, attempted murder, assault, drug
possession and trafficking to traffic breaches. There also have been more than
600 reports made for a range of offences.
Gang members also have been issued with 503 infringement notices for offences
ranging from drug possession to traffic matters, while other individuals have
been issued with 2223 infringement notices.
The most alarming figure concerns the number of guns seized from gang members
during Avatar operations – 274 of them.
They range from machine guns to high-powered assault rifles to semi-automatic
pistols. Some have been imported illegally while others were expertly
manufactured in backyard workshops with the help of gunsmiths.
Drug seizures made by Avatar officers also give an indication of the scale of
the activity gang members and associates are involved in.
There has been 2.18kg of amphetamines, 120kg of dried cannabis and 2771 cannabis
plants seized. Add this to the property confiscated from gang members that
includes cars, semi-trailers, cash, computers and large amounts of stolen
property.
All up, the value of property seized is around $4 million.
Avatar operations Inspector John Gerlach said yesterday the section's activities
had evolved since its inception.
In 2001, its immediate objective was to disrupt, whereas today it focuses much
more heavily on dismantling illegal enterprises.
"There has been a reduction in public violence since the introduction of
Avatar," he said.
"They certainly know that Avatar is out and about and we are monitoring their
activities and this appears to be having an effect on their anti-social
behaviour.
"The section now has a dual role of disruption and investigation with a focus on
organised criminal activity involving gang members."
WHILE the section has only 20 full-time members, it regularly calls on the
expertise of other specialist areas and when needed, resources from police Local
Service Areas.
Avatar has this year been involved in joint operations with the Australian Crime
Commission's investigations into organised crime networks – some of which are
alleged to have bikies as key players.
Inspector Gerlach said police intelligence indicated drug manufacturing and
distribution was still a major focus for bikies.
Other crimes they are alleged to be involved with included extortions, money
laundering, handling stolen property and various firearms offences.
"Extortion is something the bikies are alleged to have been involved in for some
time and we believe a lot of people are too scared to come forward due to
threats and intimidation from motorcycle gang members," Insp. Gerlach said.
"Police rely on information from the public to take action in these crimes and
we urge victims to come forward and report these types of stand-over
activities."
Police will not be drawn on just how many of the state's bikie gang members are
involved in criminal activities or how many "targets" they are investigating.
"Motorcycle gangs run the risk of being drawn into organised criminal activity,"
Insp. Gerlach said. "Certainly, there are some more experienced and more
sophisticated than others.
"There are key people within each of the groups. It depends on what the activity
is and the nature of it as to who gets involved."
Police intelligence also suggests there is still some involvement by gang
members in security companies that control some of Adelaide's leading
nightclubs. Earlier this year a close associate of a prominent gang was charged
with a string of offences including attempted murder and selling amphetamines in
nightclubs following an intensive investigation by Avatar officers.
IT IS not just on the streets that police have been active in fighting bikie
gangs. It is understood police have been consulted in reviewing the Confiscation
of Profits Act, in addition to introducing measures to give the capacity for
police to apply to a court for the removal of bikie "fortresses" and measures to
ensure that people who can work in the security industry are of high integrity.
"Confiscations is a significant tool in combatting organised crime. It strikes
at the motivator for crime, the profits, and its removal takes away operating
capital criminals rely on to maintain and expand their illegal activities,"
Insp. Gerlach said.
"The anti-fortifications legislation is relatively new.
"To date the construction of a fortress has been prevented by police working in
partnership with local councils and communities and there have been no instances
where the new legislation has been invoked to date."
