Australasian biker news

Bikie gangs are using standover tactics to intimidate business rivals as they expand from drug trading to legitimate businesses, including the mining industry, a new report says.

The Australian Crime Commission says that while bikies remain prolific drug manufacturers and dealers, they are now investing in apparently respectable businesses.

“Outlaw motorcycle gangs’ involvement in outwardly legitimate business enterprises is potentially (having a severe adverse effect) on a number of key market sectors in Australia, including finance, transport, private security, entertainment, natural resources and construction,” the commission’s report says.

A spokesman for WA Police Deputy Commissioner Chris Dawson said police had long been aware that organised crime gangs, including bikies, dispersed their business interests.

Police monitored their activities as much as possible, he said.

Victorian investigations discovered that motorcycle gangs had attacked businesses that had cooperated with police, invested heavily in the Australian mining industry, intimidated potential rival bidders at property auctions and infiltrated confidential government computer records.

Det-Supt Richard Grant said: “For them there are no rules when it comes to protecting their markets and image.” Police say the bikies are using organised crime tactics to intimidate and destroy existing business rivals and that key gang members were responsible for a series of arson attacks around Melbourne.

Other tactics include confronting witnesses so they would not give evidence, forcing a man to flee the country after he was involved in a confrontation with a bikie, and becoming major players in gun running, tax fraud and money laundering schemes.

The commission says there are about 3500 bikies from 35 gangs operating in Australia and their numbers are growing.

WA shadow police minister Rob Johnson warned that WA’s tough property confiscation laws would defeat people using standover tactics to set up lawful businesses.

“Our police service should take a very strong hand against any group of individuals or gang trying to intimidate their way into running what would look like legitimate businesses,” Mr Johnson said.

WA Police Minister John Kobelke said: “Given we are now living in a global environment, WA continues to work with national and international law enforcement agencies in an ongoing battle against organised crime.”