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Squad to stamp out bikie crime
August 26, 2006 04:03pm
A RE-ELECTED Queensland Labor government will spend $2 million to put the brakes
on bikie gang violence, Premier Peter Beattie said today.
Mr Beattie today promised to establish a crack police squad to shut down bikie
outlaw operations across Queensland, as the September 9 state election campaign
enters its 12th day.
"This police squad will be a significant weapon in the fight against bikie gangs
involved in drug dealing, extortion and violence," Mr Beattie said.
A team of 10 detectives and several forensic accountants, intelligence analysts
and IT specialists would be based in south-east Queensland and dedicated to the
task, he said.
"The March 18 shoot-out between the Hells Angels and the Finks motorcycle gangs
at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast shows the strong and violent threat that these
gangs have in our community," he said.
State Minister for Police and Corrective Services Judy Spence said the squad
would monitor gang movement between states.
"Police intelligence suggests that gang members are extremely proactive in
looking for new opportunities that they can use to further their criminal
activities," Ms Spence said.
"The new squad will contribute strongly to cross-border and national efforts to
eradicate outlaw motorcycle gangs," she said
Surveillance of gang members' phones would be one of the proposed Outlaw Motor
Cycle Gang Squad's tools, she said.
