No bikies jailed under tougher new laws

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (January 16, 2020) BTN — Not one bikie has been jailed under Queensland's "tougher" consorting laws aimed at cracking down on motorcycle clubs involved in drugs, guns and fraud.

Despite 389 official warnings for consorting, only three people were charged last financial year, the Queensland Public Interest Monitor revealed. Those people were still before the courts.

Since the Palaszczuk government's "stronger and tougher laws" came into effect in 2017, two people have been convicted of habitual consorting.

The law banned outlaw motorcycle club members from wearing club colours in public and made it illegal for a person to habitually consort with two or more recognised offenders after being warned by police not to do so.

While no one had been convicted in at least two years, the report showed 237 pre-emptive verified warnings were issued in 2018-19 as well as 152 retrospective verified warnings and 129 consorting preventative directions.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said despite the lack of convictions the laws were working and were "the strongest, most comprehensive laws" in the nation. "The relatively small number of convictions in relation to habitual consorting laws demonstrates that members of outlaw motorcycle gangs know police will target them if they breach those laws," he said.

"The evidence shows that the vast majority of people issued with a habitual consorting notice are complying with the conditions imposed because they know not to do so will result in them being targeted by police."

LNP police spokesman Trevor Watts said the laws were "weak" and not working. “Bikies get a slap on the wrist and then Labor sends them back out into the community in no time," he said.

“Accused bikies were kept on remand and communities were kept safe under the LNP, but Annastacia Palaszczuk replaced tough laws with her weak consorting offence.

“The LNP will deliver action by bringing back our anti-consorting laws and cracking down on gun crime – we already have laws before the Parliament that include tougher penalties and new offences."

Related | Anti-consorting legislation to tackle organised crime

The bill Mr Watts referred to was introduced in May and would allow “high-risk” Queenslanders to be searched by police at any time, without a warrant. Mr Ryan said outlaw motorcycle club memberships were declining. "Many are throwing in their colours and many are behind bars," he said.

He said since the laws were introduced, 132 full patched members had disaffiliated and more than 2000 bikies had been charged with 11,735 offences.

Former Supreme Court justice Peter Lyons, who authored the report, said legislation was implemented on a district level, which allowed "policing resources to be quickly directed".

"There is no single centralised unit or individual responsible for state-wide monitoring and co-ordination of the way in which consorting is operationalised on a day-to-day basis," he wrote.

SOURCE: Brisbane Times 

Firefighters find burnt Bandidos MC caravan

New South Wales, Australia (January 16, 2020) BTN — On Sunday, January 12, firefighters discovered a large, older style coach with 'Mobile Massage Machine' and 'Bandidos Property' written on the side, surrounded by scrub in Mares Forest National Park.

The coach had been severely burnt out by the bush fire in the remote, mountainous and heavily forested area near Wombeyan Caves. A short distance away from the coach, the caravan and a shed, also burnt by the bush fire, were located.

The matter was reported to police.

Officers from the Hume Police District travelled with the NSW Rural Fire Service to find the location of the caravan, coach and shed on Monday, January 13. The caravan was located and was found to be as described. However, nothing of interest was located by police while the caravan was examined.

Police also checked no one was trapped on the coach when the fire passed through the area. Police won't be pursuing the matter further, Detective Acting Inspector Matt Packham said.

The information has been passed onto Strike Force Raptor, which targets outlaw motorcycle clubs.

SOURCE: Crookwell Gazette

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Freewheelers MC caught up in drug bust

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada (January 16, 2020) BTN — Eleven people with connections to motorcycle clubs have been charged after police in Saskatchewan wrapped up a drug investigation in the Prince Albert area. Police said three full-patch members of the Freewheelers were among those arrested.

The Freewheelers have operated in Prince Albert since May 2019, police said, and have connections with other chapters in Lloydminster and Prince Albert, and the Hells Angels in Saskatoon. The investigation was launched seven months ago and involved members of the Prince Albert Police Service and Prince Albert RCMP, along with other agencies. Nearly 100 officers were involved in the investigation.

Thirteen homes in and around Prince Albert and Saskatoon were searched as part of Project Norse, police said. Officers seized 596 grams of cocaine, a cocaine press, 9,279 grams of cannabis bud, 33 cannabis plants, and 2,142 grams of individually-packaged cannabis by-products, according to officials.

Police estimate enough cocaine was seized during the investigation for 1,200 personal uses. The cannabis bud could make an estimated 36,000 joints, police said.

Nearly $87,000 in cash, three rifles, a shotgun and six vehicles worth an estimated $116,000 were also seized, police said.

According to police, the total value of the seized items exceeds $400,000.

During the investigation, police said they found marijuana was being grown under a valid Health Canada medical license and was then being diverted to the black market, which was being sold by the pound in Prince Albert. Investigators said one man is accused of running a commercial process where he was making marijuana vapes and other professional-looking cannabis products.

Another man is alleged to have sold products online.

"Outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) are criminal organizations, whose illegal activities cause harm and victimization to people in communities across the country,” officials said in a statement.

“Over the last five years, OMGs have significantly increased their criminal presence across Canada, and have developed extensive ties to other organized crime groups and street gangs.”

3 full-patch FreeWheelers motorcycle gang members charged in Prince Albert drug bust
WATCH: A province wide police investigation culminates in a massive drug bust in Prince Albert — via Ryan Kessler. READ MORE: https://globalnews.ca/news/6416233/freewheelers-motorcycle-gang-prince-albert-drug-bust-cocaine-cannabis/
Posted by Global Saskatoon on Wednesday, January 15, 2020

A total of 73 charges were laid by police.

Brody Markowski, 25, and Alexander “Michael” Fietz, 28, are each facing 12 charges including trafficking cocaine, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime.

Danny Glover, 29, and Tyler Korte, 30, are each facing nine charges including distributing cannabis in excess of 30 grams, unlawfully distributing illicit cannabis, and unlawfully selling cannabis.

Miranda Parenteau, 23, Warren Kreger, 38, Kaitlyn Schinold, 21, and Destiny Gunville, 19, are each facing five charges including trafficking cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Curtis Brown, 50, is facing nine charges including distributing cannabis in excess of 30 grams, unlawfully distributing illicit cannabis, and having more than four plants in a dwelling.

Rhonda Brown, 57, is charged with unlawfully cultivating and harvesting more than four plants in a dwelling house, distributing cannabis in excess of 30 grams, and conspiring to possess cannabis for the purpose of distribution.

Josh Herron, 19, is charged with trafficking cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

SOURCE: CBC

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Anti-consorting legislation to tackle organised crime

Osborne Park, Western Australia (January 13, 2020) BTN — Bikies, paedophiles and drug traffickers could face up to five years in jail for communicating with other convicted criminals under proposed anti-consorting legislation.

Under the laws, police would be able to issue an “unlawful consorting notice” to anyone convicted of an indictable offence — such as murder, robbery or wounding — ordering them not to communicate with a list of other people who have committed an indictable offence.

The new law would help tackle organised organisations such as motorcycle clubs, which are estimated to have 400-500 members in WA.

The move comes after the former Barnett government’s “anti-association” laws, introduced in 2012, which attempted to ban gang members from associating with each other, resulted in zero notices from police.


About seven new motorcycle groups have come to WA in the past seven years according to Attorney-General John Quigley who said membership numbers had doubled in the same period.

He said child sex rings and illicit drug distributors would also be caught up in the legislation, to be introduced in the first week of parliament next month.

“Outlaw motorcycle gangs are just one corner of organised crime, they will be captured by this legislation as will a host of other people who are the enablers, the financiers and the heads of these networks who keep their hands clean,” Mr Quigley said.

“These (notices) are going to be used tactically and strategically against organised crime gangs. The anti-consorting notices will prohibit those people from consorting together for a period of three years on the threat of the toughest punishment in Australia.”

WA Police Acting Commissioner Col Blanch said in the past 12 months police had significantly ramped up pressure on organised crime operations in the State. “We do know that organised crime is very adaptable and legislation like this helps us stay ahead of the game,” he said.

“Communications are a huge part of organised crime because of the distance it spans whether it is national or international, so defeating communications ... is a very significant tool for us to have. Most of these criminals we are ramping up the pressure on have decided to leave WA.”

Under the legislation, police would be able to issue a notice to convicted criminals in WA not to communicate with overseas contacts. The law could also be used to target high-ranking bikies who undertook national runs through WA.

Police Minister Michelle Roberts said in the course of the last year the gang crime squad seized more than $1.2 million in cash, 48 guns and 13kg of meth and other drugs.

SOURCE: The West Australian 

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