Property costs bikie
A SENIOR member of the Mongols bikie gang was arrested this week after police became curious about how an unemployed man could afford four houses on the Gold Coast totalling $3.5 million.
A two-and-a-half-year investigation culminated with the arrest of Michael Andrew Bankier, 32, on the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
Bankier, who also has ties to the Finks, has been charged with dealing in proceeds of crime and money worth $1 million. It is alleged Bankier’s wealth was drug money.
Also charged with the same offence is a 32-year-old woman and a 56-year-old woman, both from the Gold Coast. Both are associates of Bankier’s.
A 35-year-old Lismore man – their alleged accountant – has been charged with aiding and abetting and general dishonesty.
According to police, Bankier and his female associates laundered their proceeds through real estate and assets and various businesses.
Detectives were tipped off to Bankier when a member of the public noted it was strange for an unemployed man to have such a big house.
Further investigations revealed Bankier had two homes at Pimpama, one on Hope Island and another at Wongawallan.
It is alleged the trio gained their wealth in just 12 months.
“There was information provided to authorities in relation to this particular investigation that suggested this group had accumulated wealth beyond their means,” AFP detective Superintendent Russell Smith said.
“They were living a lifestyle that didn’t represent their income,” Queensland Police Service Superintendent Roger Lowe said.
Police also suspended two mortgage accounts and seized cars and motorbikes.
During the long-running investigation by the National Anti-Gangs Squad investigation, MDMA, cocaine, LSD and cannabis were seized in southeast Queensland and NSW.
In excess of 135,000 MDMA tablets, 99 LSD tablets, 1300 prescription medication tablets, 6kg of cannabis, $600,000 in cash, two illegal firearms, an illegal pill press, steroids, methamphetamine, cocaine, weapons, and a protected animal were seized.