Two senior Adelaide bikies banished to immigration detention amid SA Government crackdown on organised crime

TWO senior Adelaide bikies have been banished to immigration detention and face deportation after their visas were cancelled.

More than 200 criminal bikie-gang members are being eyeballed in South Australia as the Government cracks down on organised crime.

The Advertiser understands that Mongols treasurer Andrew Peter Stevens and key Comanchero Paul Burgess were taken into custody in Adelaide on Thursday morning.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has cancelled the visas of the UK-born men and authorities plan to deport them.

They will now join a cast of hundreds of detainees held for breaching “character requirement” laws. Mr Dutton said the Government was “determined to protect our borders and to make our community a safer place”.

“Criminal bikie gangs pose a great threat to communities through many criminal activities including drug trafficking,” he said.

“We won’t tolerate them coming to our country and thinking they can commit serious crime and remain here.

“If they’re here on a visa and involved in criminal activity, we will act to remove them and eliminate the threat they pose.”

From detention, the men can appeal against the visa cancellation.

However, if successful, Mr Dutton can immediately cancel it again. He did just that on Thursday with New Zealand-born bikie Aaron Joe “AJ” Graham.

“Following the Federal Court’s judgment today, the minister has considered AJ Graham’s case again and has decided to again cancel his visa,” Mr Dutton’s spokesman said.

“He will remain in immigration detention or alternatively can return to New Zealand while there is any appeal.”

The Immigration Minister can cancel a foreign-born person’s visa under Section 501 — the character requirement.

People are considered to have failed the character test if they have a substantial criminal record, if they have escaped for immigration detention, and a range of other breaches.

One of the more controversial aspects of the legislation because it is broad is that a visa can be cancelled if “you are or have been a member of a group or organisation, or had or have an association with a person, group, or organisation that the Minister reasonably suspects of being involved in criminal conduct.”

Hundreds of bikies, sex offenders and drug traffickers have had their visas cancelled, including more than 80 in the past two years.

They end up in detention on Christmas Island or around the nation. Adelaide underworld figure Leonard Gjeka was deported to his native Albania in late 2014.

Richmond AFL footballer Dustin Martin’s father had links to bikie gangs and was deported to New Zealand earlier this year.

Earlier this year Mr Dutton said the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission, the Australian Border Force, state police and intelligence agencies were working together to target outlaw motorcycle gangs “committing all sorts of serious crimes including extortion and robbery”.

“Our Government is very happy to declare war on outlaw motorcycle gang members because they are peddling in drugs, they are causing misery to mums and dads who have children, teenage children,” he said.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan said they “are the public face of organised crime in Australia”.