NSW bikies 'calling in reinforcements' March 27, 2009, 8:43 am
March 27, 2009, 8:43 am
Sydney's bikie gangs are flying in reinforcements from overseas and stockpiling weapons amid growing tension between criminal groups, a senior member says.
A source with a confessed criminal history and links to motorcycle gangs, who asked to remain anonymous, has told ABC radio of an escalating violent turf war between Sydney's bikie gangs.
The man says gang members have laughed at Comanchero chief Mick Hawi's attempt to bring together gang bosses in pursuit of peace.
Comanchero and Hells Angels gang members allegedly were involved in a brutal brawl at Sydney Airport on Sunday in which Anthony Zervas, 29, was killed.
Mr Hawi has since barred all his members from wearing their gang colours or riding their bikes until further notice, in a bid to ease public fears.
But the source told ABC that while there was much talk of peace, gangs were gathering stocks of weapons and explosives and flying in support from interstate and overseas.
The bikie said the recent bombing of a Hells Angel Club at Petersham, in Sydney's inner west, was just a test of bomb-making capacity.
He added that bikies had been stealing cars to use in a spate of drive-by shootings.
In one shooting incident, two males inside a western Sydney house were injured as six were sprayed with bullets.
In response to Mr Hawi's proposed meeting of the bikie gang hierarchy, NSW Premier Nathan Rees said neither he, nor police, were going to sit back and allow gang leaders to sort out their own problems.
The high-level bikie meeting "probably should have happened some time ago", Mr Rees said.
Following Sunday's airport killing, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione told bikies that if they "want to act like terrorists, we'll deal with them like they're terrorists".
Canadian-based international bikie expert William Marsden says it's not unusual for clubs to call for back-up from their overseas affiliates when so called "bikie wars" escalate.
"It was known that the Bandidos, for instance, came to Canada to try and organise and strengthen their associate clubs against the Hell's Angels," Mr Marsden told the ABC.
Four men have been refused bail on charges stemming from the brawl in which Mr Zervas was killed.
Meanwhile, the solicitor for a Sydney bikie gang leader has said police have sufficient powers to control criminal groups but failed to use them during Sunday's fatal Sydney airport brawl.
Lesly Randle represents Comanchero chief Mick Hawi, who is reported to have been at Sydney Airport on Sunday afternoon (AEDT) when a violent brawl broke out between members of his gang and the Hells Angels, resulting in the death of Anthony Zervas, 29.
Mr Hawi has called for a summit of Sydney's gang leaders to ease current tensions.
Ms Randle has told Fairfax Radio Network that summit is planned for some time in the next seven days but could not say if it would be this weekend.
Premier Nathan Rees has said neither he, nor police, are going to sit back and allow gang leaders to sort out their own problems.
But Ms Randle said the government had a different agenda.
"It's a face-saving exercise on their part for failing to stop what happened on Sunday," she said.
"It's a test on their part. The premier needs to win back the confidence of the public. From what I've heard ... the public don't have much confidence in the premier or the state at the moment."
Commenting on proposed new laws to curb bikie gang violence, Ms Randle said police already had enough power.
"It appears that the agenda on the part of police is to use this as an exercise to get more power when they have existing powers that would suffice," Ms Randle said.
"They have power to protect the public, they have safety powers. They have the power of detention, they have the power of arrest. They have the power to keep the peace. And ... they have the power to charge persons at this stage ... against engaging in criminal activity and for the purpose of associating to engage in criminal activity."
She said if those laws had been employed at the airport on Sunday the fatal brawl could have been prevented.
"If they had persons monitoring and observing and approached these people and said ... `Police, break it up!' or `Stop!'. If that didn't work they have extra powers, they could pull weapons. Nobody did anything in 15 minutes. They had all the power they needed in 15 minutes," she said.
Anti-gang laws had failed in three other Australian states and would not win support because they were unconstitutional, Ms Randle said.
Source:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5457381/nsw-bikies-calling-reinforcements/
I'm guessing that their "source" is probably borrowed from Rann... You know the one... the one that didn't attend any meetings but can discredit the F.R.E.E Party meetings... Pfffttt... R soles... ...
