Police swoop averts origin bikie war
ELITE Queensland and NSW police have teamed up to cool a state of origin bikie war brewing on the Gold and Tweed coasts. Heavily armed officers from NSW’s Strikeforce Raptor and Queensland’s Taskforce Maxima raided Lone Wolf bikies following a brawl between the gangs during a State of Origin match last month. The Lone Wolves are based on the Tweed while the Bandidos claim turf on the Gold Coast. JACK HARBOUR reports
ELITE police have swooped on a NSW gang to avert a looming state of origin bikie war.
Gang squads raided the homes of bikies in Tweed Heads, Tweed Heads West, Urlip, Bogangar and Kunghur on Thursday in a warning to the NSW-based Lone Wolves and Queenslandbased Bandidos.
Heavily armed officers wearing flak jackets, helmets and balaclavas led the raids.
They included members of NSW’s Strike Force Raptor and Public Order Riot Squad and Queensland’s Taskforce Maxima.
The crackdown began last month after a fistfight between gang members broke out at Seagulls Club eight minutes after the second State of Origin match kicked off.
The brawl in front of families out to dinner was sparked by an argument over turf – a Bandidos member walked into Lone Wolves territory at the leagues club.
Two bikies, each allegedly from rival gangs, were charged with affray.
The raids on Thursday were a show of force by Queensland and NSW police to ease the simmering gang tensions.
A 50-year-old man, allegedly a member of the Lone Wolves, was arrested at Kunghur near Mount Warning for hindering the police search. He was also arrested for cultivating prohibited plants and possessing knuckledusters.
The man was taken to Tweed Heads Police Station but complained of a medical condition and was sent to Tweed Heads Hospital by ambulance.
Police allegedly found cannabis at properties at Tweed Heads West and Urlip.
Tweed Byron Local Area Command Superintendent Wayne Starling said officers were “getting on the front foot” with the gangs.
“Mum and dad should be able to go down to a club and have dinner without worrying about bikies coming down and having a fight,” he said.
“These are well known criminals. It’s up to the police to bring people in line with community expectations.”
Supt Starling said he hoped the operation would debunk a perception among bikies that by crossing borders they could evade police.
“Police have been monitoring the activities of OMCG (outlaw motorcycle gang) members in Queensland and NSW, especially around the border towns of Coolangatta, Surfers and Tweed Heads.
“This is just one of many operations which take place between Queensland Police and the NSW Police.”
Taskforce Maxima Acting Detective Inspector Jason Gough said the Bandidos were also under the microscope.
“We’re conscious of their membership and we constantly monitor that environment,” he said.