Gatherings Continued

Early morning raids targets Hells Angels hangout

Quebec, Canada (March 20, 2018) BTN — About 120 police launched a series of early morning raids Tuesday that targeted alleged members of organized crime as well as a site in the Montérégie allegedly used by the Hells Angels.

The Sûreté du Québec says the operation also saw officers deployed at locales in the Outaouais and Montreal’s north shore.

No arrests had been reported as Tuesday morning.

A total of nine residences and 10 vehicles were the object of search warrants. Several sources said one of the sites raided in Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu was used by the Hells Angels.

The raids are part of an investigation into drug trafficking and are the latest in a series of similar operations in various regions of Quebec carried out by an anti-organized crime division headed by the SQ.

The division is also composed of officers from the RCMP as well as the Montreal and Laval police departments.

SOURCE: Montreal Gazette

Source: Biker Trash Network

Bandidos MC making bid for Border turf

Albury, NSW, AU (March 20, 2018) BTN — The Bandidos motorcycle club are moving to establish a new chapter in the Albury-Wodonga area, according to police.

The news came to light during a case in Albury Local Court following the formation of a strike force last August. If successful, the motorcycle club would join the Black Uhlans and Gypsy Jokers, which both have local clubhouses.

Bandidos MC members stopped by police

The Albury Drug Squad and members of Strike Force Raptor, which targets bikies, conducted multiple raids against Bandidos members and associates in Albury in November and December.

They had been listening in on members and allegedly seized about 60 grams of ice hidden in a fake gas bottle during a traffic stop.

Police had formed the taskforce to tackle drug manufacturing and supply in the region, which had allegedly involved the purchase of precursor chemicals from Bunnings.

Four people, including a Wangaratta man Danny James Kearney, 26, were arrested.

Kearney, who is either a patched or prospective member of the motorcycle club, pleaded guilty to two charges on Monday.

The court heard the club was trying to establish a Border chapter and that officers had identified local members, which was followed by warrants to conduct surveillance.

The 26-year-old was caught during the phone tap planning an insurance scam worth $8460 after a car crash near Racecourse Road in Lavington on October 16.

He has also pleaded guilty to using a false document, which is linked to the use of fraudulent licences.

Clinton Roy Parkinson was also arrested during the bikie raids and charged with a string of drug supply and other offences.

He also appeared before court on Monday and said the police case was “weak as”.

“It’s got nothing to do with me,” he said.

“I don’t even know why I’m sitting here in jail.”

Solicitor Alina Yousif, who was also charged, appeared before court.

Magistrate Rodney Brender heard there was 300 gigabytes worth of material recorded by the police which had been supplied to her lawyer.

The court heard there had been moves to pin the blame on another co-accused, David Oddy, and shift the blame away from others allegedly involved.

SOURCE: The Border Mail

Source: Biker Trash Network

Hells Angels MC turns 70 years old

Houston, Texas (March 17, 2018) BTN — Founded in 1948, the Hells Angels motorcycle club has been a pop-culture mainstay for decades. Books, television and movies have mythologized them endlessly.

The story began on March 17, 1948, in San Bernardino, California, and the name is most-commonly attributed to the Howard Hughes movie of the same name, about World War II bombers. But that is where the military connection ends.

The Hells Angels website refutes the commonly held story that the group was founded by ex-military misfits and outcasts. Of course, later on, members from various branches of the military would join HAMC but it was not a military club to begin with.

The group's logo, the Death Head, is easily one of the most recognizable brands of the 20th century. It's since been copyrighted in the United States and internationally.

The "Berdoo" chapter is still alive and well to this day. That group's 70th anniversary party is scheduled for this weekend. There are no chapters listed in Texas.

More clubs began popping up soon after in and around California. In 1957 Sonny Barger founded the Oakland chapter. He would end up becoming the face of the club in pop-culture, and to this day remains a cult figure.

Barger's autobiography, "Hell's Angel," was released in 2001 to wide acclaim by motorcycle fans and others interested in the biker subculture.

By 1961 the club had a chapter in Auckland, New Zealand, and by the end of the decade the first of many chapters was founded in Europe. Australia, Africa and Brazil were still to come. Today there are even clubs in Turkey.

Nomad Dave shows off  his Hells Angels tattoo as he attends a Hells Angels rally.

In 1965 LIFE magazine went on the road with the outlaw bikers for a series of photos featuring the group riding and interacting with polite society. Two years later Hunter S. Thompson wrote the non-fiction book "Hell's Angels" about his time riding with the club.

They maintain an allure within mainstream culture, with TV shows like "Sons of Anarchy" adding to the mystique. Barger himself appeared on the show a handful of times. The motorcycle club in the TV show is purely fictional, although it does have some elements of the biker culture.

Deadly encounters between the Angels and other clubs have kept them squarely outside the lines, and the actions of bad apples among them haven't helped matters.

Article by: Craig Hlavaty

SOURCE: Houston Chronicle