REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Tuesday January 13, 2004

“DON’T you know who I am ... I am Mr Pump.”

These were the words that chilled bystanders during what police described as “an aggressive confrontation” outside The Drink nightclub at Surfers Paradise.

A gang of 40 or more Lebanese youths from Sydney was involved.

The ringleader of the group told police and nightclub security staff that he was known as “Mr Pump” and was a “heavy” in the Kings Cross nightclub scene in Sydney.

Police told the Gold Coast Bulletin that “Mr Pump” had been ejected from The Drink just before 1.30am.

“Within minutes he was back with about 40 mates, all threatening and carrying on outside the club, demanding to be let inside, saying they had a mate in trouble in the club,” said a police officer who could not be named.

Reinforcements had to be called to the scene to back up the nightclub’s security staff before the situation could be brought under control.

Sydney police sources said many of the group involved in confrontation with Gold Coast police were known to them.

“They are not among the really heavy Lebanese gangs, but we could imagine them being involved in scenes such as you have described,” said a southern police officer.

Gold Coast police involved in the confrontation asked Mr Pump to move on.

He declined and was arrested. Other gang members continued to taunt police, and another two Lebanese men were arrested for failing to obey a police instruction and obstructing police.