I suppose it's to their credit as outlaws that members of the Hells Angels merited a national
day of action in Australia from police who tackled other biker clubs with quick smash and grab raids.
But everyone knew something was coming
"Police! Search warrant! Open the door!"
The Mob Reporter here with views of the coast-to-coast-to-coast police offensive
targeting the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club's leadership, members, and clubhouses.
All outlaw biker clubs in Australia have taken their knocks from police in recent months.
Two weeks ago it was members of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. Before that it was the Nomads,
the Mongols, the Rebels, and the Finks. Everyone felt it would soon be the Hells Angels' turn
once again. But a so-called National Day of Action across the country by a
dozen cooperating law enforcement agencies was more than was expected. On October 14,
2020, a coordinated series of 28 search warrants and what were called "disruption
activities" began targeting members and associates of the Hells Angels.
Several members in leadership roles within the various chapters were arrested, police said.
The specifics are sparse, but seized in a raid in the Sydney area were the vest and colors of
a member of the Brutal South chapter declaring the owner as the chapter sergeant-at-arms.
That chapter was formed just one year ago.
Two members now face quick deportation to their native New Zealand after their arrest.
Both men were described as senior office holders with the Hells Angels.
One of them was this man seen here being led away in the pre-dawn light in nothing but underwear,
taken away without even the chance to dress. These two were low-hanging fruit — their visas
to remain in Australia were simply cancelled on the grounds of not being of good character.
Homes, businesses, and even Hells Angels clubhouses were raided. Officers used COVID 19 compliance
checks as the authority to enter at least five businesses associated to members of the club.
Police said they seized guns, ammunition, cash, and a number of drugs, including cocaine, steroids, GHB,
and of cours,e methamphetamine. A clandestine drug lab was dismantled along with a marijuana grow up.
Liquor was also seized, and three men faced liquor licensing offenses. It looks like some
real old-timers were among the members arrested. You can tell by the years of service pins but also
just by looking at the style of the cut, or vest, that they wear. That's changed a lot as well.
One was 65 years old. He'll be old enough to remember when the club first arrived there.
The Hells Angels came to Australia in 1975. In Australia they found fertile territory and
have expanded to 20 chapters. Australian Hells Angels are known, and blamed, for many things
including for changing Australia's underworld landscape in a very particular way. In the early
1980s, Peter Hill, a member of the Melbourne chapter, visited California and hooked up with Hells
Angels members there, who whispered to him the recipe of how to make methamphetamine. Returning
home, he'll introduce commercial scale domestic meth which became as popular as it was destructive.
Over the years, Hells Angels have been involved in probably more than their fair
share of scraps, beefs, and wars, earning allies and enemies wherever they rode.
As I've been documenting here, the Australian government's single-minded push against outlaw
biker clubs has been ongoing for years, sparked by shocking incidents of public violence.
Hells Angels were involved in several, including a particularly problematic one:
a deadly brawl with members of the Comancheros Motorcycle Club at Sydney airport in 2009. Several
members of the Comancheros found themselves on the same domestic flight as a Hells Angels
chapter president. Both sides called their buddies to meet them at the terminal, either in case there
was trouble or to make sure there was. It threw the public into an outrage. Fast forward to these raids.
Police say their national day of action also uncovered valuable intelligence
which will be shared with other law enforcement agencies. I'm not sure exactly the nature of what
they found, but police officials leading the operation were quick to note that the Hells
Angels use their network of chapters around the country and around the world to further their
aims, so police use the same strategy coordinating their plans with police forces in other regions.
One officer in a message meant for the bikers said, quote, "we will be relentless. We will outsmart you,"
unquote. That, of course, remains to be seen through the court process but the day of action left
one fact not in dispute. On this day, the police outmanned and outgunned them. Thanks for watching.