Venezuela arrests Colombian drug kingpin

 

The arrest of Maximiliano Bonilla-Orozco at his home in Venezuela's third largest city of Valencia on Sunday was announced, perhaps not coincidentally, during a visit by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. After a five-hour meeting at the presidential palace, Santos thanked Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez for the "welcome gift" of capturing "a very high-value" drug trafficker "who has caused terrible damage to our country." Venezuelan Interior Minister Tarek El Aissami said Bonilla-Orozco, 39, would be extradited to the United States, where he was charged with drug trafficking in a 2008 indictment in a New York court. The United States accuses Bonilla-Orozco of trafficking several tons of cocaine from Colombia to the United States, and transporting more than $25 million in drug-related proceeds from the United States to Mexico. "Maximiliano Bonilla-Orozco is the leader of an extensive transnational narcotics exportation and transportation organisation that distributes thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, to the United States," a US State Department profile says.

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Police probe Gold Coast shooting

Police say a man shot at Robina on Queensland's Gold Coast had links to an outlaw motorcycle gang. A man fired several shots outside a house at Robina about 10:00pm (AEST) on Saturday night, injuring a 25-year-old man. The man was shot in the shoulder and is in the Gold Coast Hospital. Police say his injuries are not life-threatening. Detective Superintendent Dave Hutchinson says police are still searching for the assailant. He says some of the bullets struck cars and houses. "[The offender] was targeting a particular person, and that person received some injuries from the those gun pellets," he said. "The information we have from witnesses is that there were a number of shots fired. "The victim has an association with an outlaw motorcycle group but he's not a member himself. "At this stage, we're not able to say if it's bikie-related or if it's a personal issue." Police have already interviewed a number of witnesses but no-one has been arrested over the shooting. Detective Superintendent Hutchinson says the injured man, who is an associate of the Bandidos motorcycle gang, is cooperating with police but cannot remember much about the incident.

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Man shot in Brunswick

 

A gunman is on the loose after a man was gunned down in a busy Brunswick street late this afternoon. The man was shot several times outside a gym and then stumbled across the Brunswick shopping centre car park where he collapsed beside a vehicle, police say. At least six shots rang out at the Barkly Square Shopping Centre late this afternoon and the 37-year-old man was hit in the upper body.

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Bali jails Australian boy over cannabis possession

 

An Australian boy has been jailed for two months for possessing cannabis on the Indonesian island of Bali. The case sparked an outcry in Australia, where the media argued the 14-year-old was too young to be jailed. But Indonesian analysts hit back, criticising Australia for holding Indonesian youngsters in detention in people-smuggling cases. The teenager, who has not been named, will serve the rest of his sentence at an immigration detention centre. The jail term includes the time already served, so the boy, from New South Wales, is expected to be freed in two weeks' time. He will be deported to Australia at the end of his sentence. The boy bought a small amount of cannabis from a dealer on the island - a crime punishable by up to two years in jail. But the court treated him leniently after hearing that he had pre-existing drugs problems and had sought help from doctors. Drugs cases involving Australians in Indonesia regularly cause a huge outcry because of the country's extreme sentencing rules. The most notorious was that of the so-called Bali Nine, who were convicted of trying to import heroin. Most of them are serving lengthy prison sentences after having death penalties commuted on appeal.

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Bikers' neighbours on edge

 

One building is white with a red roof -- Hells Angels colours. The other building is black with skulls on the wall -- Outlaws colours. In between are four city blocks, nervous neighbours and watchful police. The fallout from a Hells Angels party on the weekend continued Monday, with parents whose children attend an elementary school across from the purported clubhouse at 549 Grey St. and an expert weighing in. Parents outside Aberdeen public school Monday morning debated the bikers' presence in the neighbourhood, with some claiming it's not necessarily a bad thing. "It definitely makes the neighbourhood safer. Nobody messes with a biker house or any neighbourhood the biker house is in," one man said. Another man said police shouldn't unfairly target the bikers. "They haven't technically done anything wrong," he said. "They just threw a party." Other parents disagreed. "Who puts a party house outside a school area?" asked one mother. "Why wouldn't you do it in between here and Thamesford where they could have a good party and not concern anybody else?" Neighbours, meanwhile, are concerned about the bikers' presence in the already troubled area. "I don't really want them in the neighbourhood. We already have enough crime in the neighbourhood," said one area resident, who didn't want to be identified. Police suggested the party Saturday that drew 100 people was a show of strength by the Hells Angels and may have been a message to the Outlaws motorcycle club. The Outlaws club is a longtime rival that seemed to resurface in London in the summer. The evidence of an Outlaws resurgence was La Tinta Latina, a tattoo and piercing shop that opened in June at 328 Hamilton Rd. The building is black and has a white skull on the wall, but owner Norman Zeledon denied it was an Outlaws clubhouse. Although police warn the Outlaws and Hells Angels have a long and bitter history, one organized crime expert said co-operation, not confrontation, may be in the offing. It's more likely members of the significantly smaller Outlaws would work with the larger Hells Angels, organized crime expert James Dubro said. "It's not unknown these days for Outlaws to become Hells Angels," he said. "Things do change." Although police won't confirm the home at 549 Grey St. is a Hells Angels clubhouse, it has all the trappings. The heavily fortified single-storey house is decorated in the Angels' trademark red and white, and a sign asking visitors to use the side door is written in the biker club's signature font. The house is surrounded by a 1.5-metre high fence with a large dog behind it. Access to the house is controlled by a metal gate that swings open to let vehicles into the driveway. Seeing inside the home is impossible -- wooden shutters prevent passersby from looking in -- but whoever is inside can easily watch anybody who approaches the house. The house is equipped with three tiny surveillance cameras -- one near the front door, one on the garage and one on the side of the house. The Hells Angels gang has kept a low profile in London since their old clubhouse on Swinyard St. was seized by police in July 2008 and remains under a so-called restraint order. Det. Sgt. Len Isnor, head of the OPP-led $provincial biker-enforcement unit, said neighbours have good reason to be concerned about the bikers' presence in the area. "I think anytime you have an outlaw motorcycle gang in your neighbourhood or in your city you have to be concerned." Police wouldn't say whether the owner of the house is a known member of the Hells Angels. City records show the home's owner bought the house in September 2010.

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Murdochs are not a mafia – but the family firm is in meltdown

 

There are times to push fine detail and finely timed memory losses aside and ask: what makes sense? And thus the fall and fall of the House of Murdoch continues. Young James is so smart, so smooth, such a master of dead bats and – yes! – detail. He's a clever lad. Why, then, did he act so stupidly? And why did those who were supposed to protect him, in loco parentis, do such a lousy job? We're not talking corporate governance here: we're talking family. Tom Watson may have pushed his mafia metaphor a tad too far at the committee grilling last week, but the family and its faithful, well-remunerated retainers are what matter most. See everything that Rupert has done over the last 20 years as family first and it all begins to fall into place. Take Les Hinton, the head butler at Wapping Abbey at the time. Did he brief Rupert Murdoch as Clive Goodman went to prison? How could he not have? Murdoch senior is always on the phone. He'd be chatting to editor Andy Coulson just as he'd chatted to News of the World editors down the years. Would Rupert have left his de facto heir to sink or swim in this rancid pool without full briefings and full protection? Of course not. Take Rebekah Brooks, the tabloid queen waiting to climb the management ladder when young James arrived. She'd been editor of the News of the World; she was editor of the Sun, just a few corridor yards away; Andy Coulson was her former deputy, her pick for the top, her boy. Didn't she see the perils post-hacking? Surely she wouldn't let James fall into the mire. Or take Colin Myler, the last editor of the News of the World, the Mr Clean chosen to clear up the whole damned mess. Hugely experienced, a previous editor of the Sunday and daily Mirror; an honourable guy who took the fall when a high-profile trial was stopped because people on his staff made mistakes. How did Myler come to Wapping, then? Because, after almost seven years' exile on Murdoch's New York Post, he was the safe pair of hands Rupert chose personally to put things back on track. And today? Les Hinton is history, dumped from Dow Jones as the family scrabbles after a safe haven. Rebekah is history, too, left with an office, a chauffeur and £1.7m to keep her warm. While Myler is suddenly the enemy, the loyalist inexplicably contradicting James about what James was told and siding with Tom Crone, the paper's equally suddenly reviled lawyer. Does any of this make the remotest human sense? If some revered TV scriptwriter (say Peter Morgan) wrote a series about newspaper life in which nobody gossiped, nobody got drunk, nobody told anyone anything, he'd be laughed out of the studio. The entire farrago doesn't hold for a second. With Scotland Yard knee-deep in unread emails, there's nil chance of that unsteady state ending any decade soon. Proof – in any bewigged form – will probably only emerge much later: but proof, in a thumbs-up or -down way, is commodiously available already. An over-protected fool or a desperate man cornered? It's a sad, sad choice, but amounts to much the same thing either way. Protectors didn't protect. Instead, they were jettisoned one by one. And perhaps the saddest – nay, tragic – explanation of what went on is also the most benign. James wasn't interested in tabloid blunders, or even playing executive chairman to them. He loved digital, TV, the future. He was bored, bored, bored by lawyers and their letters. His father, the dad who must be obeyed, had made him serve his time; but his mind kept wandering away to the fields he loved. There's the tragedy for the son and the family, but worst of all for Rupert. Those who didn't quite believe it in the summer must surely acknowledge it now: James Murdoch can never sit at his father's desk. The whole succession scenario is bust. The Murdoch hegemony stops here. No sentient shareholder is going to let the family run things hands-on any longer. Just sit back and cash the dividends. There may be more rumours about a Sun on Sunday come the dawn of 2012, but forget them. We can't even be sure there'll be a Sun if James's readiness to shut it (should more hacking be discovered) is tested. There won't be any clear, calm, imminent moment when, all passion spent, the Bun seems wholesome again. Trinity Mirror, its profits bulwarked by the greatest ever stroke of luck, can carry on smiling. The murk of 2011 will just linger on (oozing into view every time Tom Watson mentions a new private eye). Those who like strong medicine and stronger penalties against malfeasance may care to count the payback thus far. For Murdoch: no heir, no News of the World, some $90m (£56m) gone, a reputation and an influence lost, a family at war. For James: no glowing future. For many of the rest of the gang: no jobs and possibly no freedom either. Retribution doesn't come crueller than this. Hacking can damage your health, wealth, your nearest and dearest. Hacking has sundered the biggest media empire in the globe: and many things, including Wapping and, less joyously, the papers that remain, can never be quite the same again. ■ The News of the World may be dead and buried, but a dogged Max Mosley is still trying to drive a stake through its heart. About 3,000 copies of the Nazi orgy story that incensed him circulated in France so, three years after the event, he went to Paris, launched another privacy case and (last week) won. Triumph? Only up to a point. The court awarded €32,000 in all (€10,000 as a state fine, €7,000 (£27,000) as Max's damages and the rest as costs). That doesn't sound much, sniffed Britain's finest media eagles, barely worth putting on a wig and gown for in the Strand. His French lawyer thought Max had done pretty well – but the tariff, by Strand standards, is low, low, low. Whether it's under French law or the European Convention on Human Rights, you can make a point over the Channel, if you must: but you won't make a mint.

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Police raid Perth bikie properties

 

42-year-old Rebels motorcycle gang member is one of three people being questioned by police after a search of his home in Calista, south of Perth. Police say they found a 22 calibre, self-loading handgun, cash, cannabis and a trafficable quantity of what they believe to be methamphetamine during this morning's search of the Edmund Road house. No charges have been laid at this stage. Gang Crime Squad detectives have also raided a home linked to a bikie gang in Morley this afternoon. They say they were searching for stolen motorcycles, firearms and drugs. The raids are part of a continued effort by police to disrupt the activities of motorcycle gangs.

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Your right to die in a bikie war shootout

 

AT A guess you could probably assume that none of the High Court judges live in Merrylands, where the Nomads and Hells Angels are engaged in what the police reassuringly describe not as a bikie gang war but merely "tit for tat violence". It is also unlikely that any of these eminent jurists live in Northmead, where an innocent woman had her house strafed with bullets while she was sleeping last week in a zany address mix-up by a bikie who was having trouble reading his UBD. Presumably, none of the judges live in Adelaide's north-western suburb of Semaphore where an 11-year-old boy, the son of a former member of the Finks, was shot in the leg while he slept during a home invasion last month. When the ambulance arrived and the media turned up, bricks were hurled from the home. None of the witnesses to the shooting of the 11-year-old boy would initially co-operate with the police. It was reported however that the Finks had offered their own reward of $500,000 for information on the identity of the shooter. This shooting and its unco-operative aftermath reinforced the fact that members of bikie gangs do not look to the police and the courts for assistance. That's what civilised and law-abiding people do. To this end the police, and particularly the courts, are letting civilised and law-abiding people down. None of the High Court judges could find Merrylands or Semaphore with a packed lunch, a GPS and a team of indigenous trackers. And even the cops seem depressingly ambivalent about what is going on in middle Australian suburbs such as these. Perhaps it was just an unfortunate choice of words but NSW Gangs Squad commander Arthur Katsogiannis seemed too laid-back by half on Sunday in discussing the bikie shootings in Sydney's west, a staggering eight of which have taken place since last Thursday. "If this was a full-scale war between the Nomads and the Hells Angels you would not have the shootings isolated at one particular area, they would be right around the metropolitan area and around the state," he said. No dramas then. But it is the courts which really take the cake on this issue. Just over a year ago the High Court had a chance to seriously disrupt the freedom of bikie gang members to behave in an anti-social and criminal manner. Bombarded by civil libertarian tripe, the court opted to throw in its lot not with the civilised and law-abiding majority but the one per cent "who don't fit and don't care" - to borrow from the Hells Angels' own mission statement. The NSW and SA governments had both passed legislation which would have declared bikie gangs criminal organisations and enabled police to seek orders from magistrates preventing bikies from associating with each other and visiting certain addresses. But this invited the tediously predictable criticisms from academics and defence lawyers along Basil Fawlty lines that this is exactly how Nazi Germany started. One academic warned there was nothing stopping the authorities from using the same laws against the local lawn bowls club or Apex or Rotary. Andreas Schloenhardt, from the University of Queensland law school, fired up at the time: "This legislation is dangerous ... There is little in the legislation that can stop the Attorney-General from banning a bowling club." Certainly that could have been a handy application, in the event that the ladies' four stopped making scones and started manufacturing methamphetamine. But none of this is funny if you live in Ermington or Merrylands or Northmead or Semaphore and are busily keeping your head down, literally, as the "tit for tat violence" continues. The High Court had its chance to make the community safer and it blew it. The NSW and SA laws would have disrupted the lawlessness which has continued and reached a new crisis point since last Thursday and opted instead, on the basis of some legally arcane pedantry about usurping the authority of the Supreme Court, to strike down those laws. Meanwhile the cops are doing a cracking job standing behind police cameras and raiding pubs to make sure no one has had more than four standard drinks, and the High Court judges are happily ensconced in those suburbs where the Nomads and Finks and Hells Angels tend not to tread. People in normal suburbs must deal with that on their own.

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member of the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang, is at the centre of the shootings which have left neighbourhoods gripped with fear.

 

BOTCHED assassination attempt on an underworld figure is believed to be behind a series of tit-for-tat drive-by shootings across western Sydney over the past week. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the man, who is a member of the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang, is at the centre of the shootings which have left neighbourhoods gripped with fear. The drive-by attacks started two days after the man was released from custody where he faced a number of serious charges, which cannot be detailed for legal reasons. The man was due to be reunited with members of the Nomads newly-reformed Parramatta chapter for a club meeting at an Oporto restaurant in Merrylands. Details of the meeting made their way into the hands of the rival Hells Angels outlaw bikie gang - specifically those from its Parramatta chapter - who are suspected of being involved in the gunfire attack on the eatery. Related Coverage Drive-by shootings on the rise The Daily Telegraph, 1 day ago Drive-bys target gang family members The Daily Telegraph, 5 days ago Merrylands under rule of the gun The Daily Telegraph, 28 Aug 2011 Drive-by targeted ex-Socceroo Courier Mail, 26 Aug 2011 Bikie held on shootings at Ibrahim homes The Daily Telegraph, 17 Aug 2011 The incident allegedly sparked a retaliatory drive-by attack two nights later at a home in Gough St, Holroyd - linked to the Hells Angels. Just hours after, the Nomad's house in Canley Heights was shot up in response, although the premises was unoccupied at the time. Six drive-by shootings are under investigation by a team of more than 18 detectives known as Strike Force Felix. The Sunday Telegraph understands that members of Hells Angels are targeting the man over an issue involving a separate police investigation. The commander of the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad, Deb Wallace, told The Sunday Telegraph that everything was being done to end the violence. Ms Wallace confirmed that links were being probed between the current spate of drive-by shootings and previous tit-for-tat violence. These included drive-by attacks on the Dover Heights home of nightclub owner John Ibrahim and his mother's Merrylands home in June, investigated under Strike Force Bairstowe. Links also had been established to shootings that took place in the Merrylands and Fairfield areas in late August, investigated by a separate team - Strike Force Restore. "We would say there are certain links between a number of those (strike forces) which we are still exploring," Ms Wallace said. Asked specifically about the individual being targeted, who cannot be named for legal reasons, Ms Wallace said: "I can't speculate at this stage, but there are a number of lines of inquiry we are following." Police have been keen to assure the public that the attacks targeted specific individuals, and were not random acts of violence. Unfortunately, Ms Wallace said, the criminals involved in the current drive-by shootings have been mistakenly firing at the wrong homes. In some cases the targets had moved out either weeks or months earlier - in other cases, innocent family members, distant relatives or bystanders were falling victim. In one case, at least 16 bullets were fired into a house in Blaxcell St, Granville, while two children were inside. Detectives also have been frustrated by the lack of assistance provided by victims of the crimes who have specific knowledge of those involved. Ms Wallace pleaded for those who have any information to come for- ward anonymously to police. "A number of people have come forward and we're so grateful for that." She said people close to the events with specific details often had misguided loyalty to those involved and did not come forward. "We would appeal to them to come forward and they can do so anonymously," she said.

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Italy government hangs by thread as coalition crumbles

 

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's fate hung by a thread Friday and desertions from his crumbling centre-right coalition may have already robbed him of the parliamentary numbers he needs to survive. Berlusconi, caught in the crossfire from European powers and a party revolt at home, agreed at a G20 summit in France to IMF monitoring of economic reforms which he has long promised but failed to implement. But this may soon be irrelevant for the Italian leader, who will return to Rome later Friday to face what looks increasingly like a deadly rebellion by his own supporters. With financial markets in turmoil over the situation in Greece and Italy viewed as the next domino to fall in the euro zone crisis, calls are mounting for a new government to carry through reforms convincing enough to regain international confidence. Berlusconi has consistently rejected calls to resign and says the only alternative to him is an early election next spring, rather than the technocrat or national unity government urged by many politicians and commentators. Yields on 10-year Italian bonds reached 6.36 percent by early afternoon, creeping closer to 7 percent, a level which could trigger a so-called "buyers' strike" where investors take fright and refuse to buy the paper. Two deputies from Berlusconi's PDL party this week defected to the centrist UDC, taking his support in the 630-seat lower house of parliament to 314 compared with the 316 he needed to win a confidence vote last month. But at least seven other former loyalists have called for a new government and could vote against the 75-year-old media magnate. "The (ruling) majority seems to be dissolving like a snowman in spring," said respected commentator Stefano Folli in the financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore. Other commentators spoke of an "inexorable" revolt against Berlusconi. Even Defence Ministry undersecretary Guido Crosetto, a Berlusconi loyalist, said on television: "I don't know how many days or weeks the government has left. Certainly a majority relying on a few votes cannot continue for long." PATRONAGE Berlusconi, one of Italy's richest men, still has significant powers of patronage and he and his closest aides are expected to spend the weekend trying to win back support for a parliamentary showdown Tuesday. Some rebels have already threatened to vote against Berlusconi in the vote to sign off on the 2010 budget. Berlusconi faced concerted calls to resign when he lost a previous vote on this routine measure, which was almost unprecedented. Although it is not a confidence motion, he would come under huge pressure if he suffered a second defeat. "Unpopular prescriptions are necessary and this challenge cannot be faced with a 51 percent government," said UDC leader Pier Ferdinando Casini, in a reference to Berlusconi's weakness and a widespread feeling that the reforms can only be passed with a broad consensus. The premier has promised European leaders that he will call a formal confidence motion within 15 days to pass amendments to a budget bill incorporating new measures to stimulate growth and cut Italy's huge debt. That will be in the Senate where he has a more solid majority but it could still bring him down. Berlusconi, beset by a string of sex scandals and court cases, has consistently resisted pressure from groups ranging from a powerful business lobby to the Catholic Church to stand down.

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Brussels is stifling City of London, Cameron claims

 

David Cameron signalled new European battles ahead as he pledged to resist alleged attempts by Brussels to shackle the City of London in red tape. The Prime Minister echoed claims that the emergence of a two-tier Europe following the financial crisis could result in a wave of EU directives that would harm the Square Mile. The Government has said it is determined to prevent the 17 members of the eurozone acting as a bloc to thwart the interests of the 10 EU states, including Britain, that have retained their own currencies.

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Qantas grounds all flights

 

Australia’s Qantas Airways grounded its entire fleet on Saturday over a bitter labour dispute in an unprecedented move that prompted the government to warn it feared for the airline’s future and would seek action to end the dispute. EDITOR’S CHOICE Strikes cost A$15m-a week in lost sales - Oct-28 US airlines earnings hit by fuel costs - Oct-27 Lufthansa scales back passenger forecasts - Oct-27 Virgin eyes tie-up with Etihad on BMI - Oct-14 Qantas overhauls lossmaking international operations - Aug-16 Qantas said it would lock out all employees from Monday night in a dispute affecting 70,000 passengers and 600 flights on one of the country’s biggest travel weekends. The grounding does not affect Qantas’ budget airline Jetstar or code-share flights on other airlines. Passengers will get a full refund for flights cancelled due to the industrial action, Qantas said on its website. Customers can also rebook their flights for a later date. The announcement took passengers and the government by surprise, embarrassing Prime Minister Julia Gillard who was hosting a Commonwealth leaders summit in Perth. Some of those leaders are booked to fly home on Sunday with Qantas. Unions, from pilots to caterers, have taken strike action since September over pay and opposing Qantas plans to cut its soaring costs, as it looks at setting up two new airlines in Asia and cutting back financially draining long-haul flights. “They are trashing our strategy and our brand. They are deliberately destabilising the company. Customers are now fleeing from us,” Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said.

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A LARGE crowd of Rebels Motorcycle Club members turned out at St Peter's Cathedral yesterday for the funeral of a member.

Rebels comfort each other outside St Peter's Cathedral. Picture: Dean Martin

Dozens of motorbikes lined Pennington Tce, North Adelaide, as more than 100 people gathered for the 1.30pm service for James Sean "Pappa" Petterson.

Members of rival motorcycle clubs, including the Finks, also attended the service.

A convoy of Rebels members on motorcycles were given a police escort to the service and flanked the hearse as it left the cathedral.

Uniformed and plainclothes police kept a watchful eye over proceedings from outside

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Bikie crime crackdown as anti-gang law put to test

 

POLICE are poised to mount the first crackdown on bikie crime using Queensland's controversial anti-gang laws. Detectives have been working for two years gathering intelligence on members of a major Queensland bikie club and expect to make an application to the Supreme Court within months. "We're good to go," Det Supt John Sheppard, head of organised crime at the QPS, said. He declined to name the group but acknowledged it was one of the seven outlaw clubs whose Gold Coast chapters were profiled in The Courier-Mail this month. It would be the first time the Criminal Organisation Act has been used since it was passed in 2009 and Queensland authorities are hoping to succeed where other states failed. Attempts to implement similar laws in South Australia and NSW were successfully challenged in the High Court by members of the Finks and Hells Angels, respectively. The application must first pass a public interest test and then be accepted by the courts. Police can then apply for control orders against club members. They can then ban them from associating with certain other people, attending certain places - such as clubhouses - touting for new members, possessing weapons and even prevent them from applying for certain jobs. Police can also obtain orders to remove "fortifications" from premises, including cameras. "It's meant to limit their mobility, to limit their recruiting ability," Supt Sheppard said. He said police had "watched with interest" developments elsewhere in Australia and expected the people targeted would try to put up the same hurdles. "They're probably preparing for it," he said. "I'd be surprised if it wasn't challenged in the High Court." Crime fighters complain that bikies refusing to give evidence and intimidating witnesses hampers investigations, even where there are powers to compel testimony in secret hearings under the threat of jail. "For really hard-nosed people, six to eight months inside is never going to deter them," one senior investigator said. Parliament could consider amendments to the Act that law enforcement agencies say are needed to protect confidential sources as soon as this week. Former Crime and Misconduct Commission chairman and Fitzgerald-era corruption-buster Robert Needham is the public interest monitor who will review the police application. His role sets Queensland apart from the other states that have tried to crack down on bikie gangs. Another difference is that the application is made to the Supreme Court itself rather than individual judges. The Queensland laws were opposed by the LNP, civil liberties groups, lawyers and bikies, who put aside traditional club rivalries to campaign against them. A spokesman for the United Motorcycle Council Queensland, which represents outlaw clubs, said an application would "waste time and taxpayers' money". "We'll deal with it when it gets here," he said.

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Bikies linked to workers at Wonthaggi desalination plant

 

HARD core of union workers at the troubled desalination plant are allegedly aligned with outlaw motorcycle gangs. A Herald Sun investigation has uncovered allegations that bikie-backed union members have snared a slice of the $5.7 billion plant in Wonthaggi, Victoria's richest infrastructure project. The State Government says it is "extremely concerned" and has asked the Victoria Police Chief Commissioner's office for advice on tackling crime in the building industry. Unionists with links to at least three outlaw motorcycle gangs - the Black Uhlans, the Comancheros, and the Rebels - have been active on the site, the Herald Sun understands. But unions denied yesterday there were any members of outlaw bikie gangs on site. Information from sources in construction and law enforcement indicates: Related Coverage Exposed: The Coast's bikie tsars Courier Mail, 8 days ago Gangs armed and dangerous Herald Sun, 27 Sep 2011 Outlaw bikie escort for school formal Courier Mail, 23 Sep 2011 Police insider's link to bikies Herald Sun, 5 Aug 2011 Police to take on outlaw gangs Herald Sun, 22 May 2011 A TRADES assistant at the site has told co-workers he is a high-ranking member of the Black Uhlans and also a member of the AMWU. AT LEAST one senior figure on the site has suspected links with a high-profile member of the Rebels. A TRADESMAN with a prominent role in the ETU who has worked on the site is aligned with the Comancheros and was convicted in 2009 of theft and possession of drugs and illegal explosives. One source said several bikie gang members had established themselves in Wonthaggi, even renting homes in the town. "They're running amok," she said. The Black Uhlans publicly rallied to support then AMWU figure Craig Johnston, now a CFMEU steward, after he was jailed in 2004 for leading a rampage through a recruitment firm. Unionists believed to have been involved in that incident now work at the desal plant, industry sources say. Construction industry figures believe another CFMEU figure, whose identity is known to the Herald Sun, retains a strong connection to the Black Uhlans.

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Outlaw motorcycle clubs attempting to open clubhouses and tattoo parlours in Brisbane's West End and Fortitude Valley

 

 Surfers Paradise nightclub had been a target for alleged bikie money laundering amid growing business links between powerful Gold Coast bikies and others interstate and overseas. Read more reports in the print edition of The Courier-Mail or explore the Bikie Inc web of intrigue diagrams or the detailed club profiles in our multimedia specials. But outlaw clubs are also targeting Brisbane, where they have tried to open clubhouses and tattoo parlours in West End and Fortitude Valley. Gold Coast's bikie tsars exposed Two hours and $2000 and a gun is yours Nightclub link to bikie money laundering A nascent chapter of Bandidos whose members do not even ride motorcycles is seeking a Valley clubhouse, according to police sources. The development has echoes of the "Notorious" gang in Sydney connected to organised crime figures John Ibrahim and the Sarkis brothers. That group styled itself as a motorcycle club but members - so-called "Nike Bikies" - failed to win recognition from outlaw clubs because they were not sufficiently interested in bikes. Fortitude Valley - despite its historical links to organised crime - was an "untapped area" for outlaw motorcycle clubs, the police source said. The Hells Angels tried last year to find a lease on a new clubhouse in West End. Hells Angels Brisbane president Mark Nelms declined to comment. "It wouldn't matter if you were the Queen of England, we don't comment to anybody," he said. The Bandidos' existing footprint in the Valley includes Valley Ink, a Brunswick St tattoo parlour opened by Gold Coast chapter president Sava Cvetkovic. An underworld source said that a senior member of Highway 61, a club with New Zealand roots, also had sought to open a parlour on West End's Boundary Street. Last week The Courier-Mail revealed that a multimillion-dollar Surfers Paradise nightclub deal had been thwarted after police warned the landlord that it was a front for bikies laundering cash. The bid was bankrolled by a Sydney financier with business and family links to a national franchise chain. The last known attempt at bikie infiltration of Gold Coast nightclubs was when Global Group Security looked at providing bouncers for several clubs about seven years ago.

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HUGE volcano in Iceland could be about to blow which would turn day into night and cause chaos across Europe.

Iceland's desolate landscape stretches beyond Vik (Pic: AP)

A HUGE volcano in Iceland could be about to blow which would turn day into night and cause chaos across Europe.

Scientists have warned that Katla – one of the most feared volcanoes in the world – is on the brink of a major explosion which would dwarf the Eyjafjallajokull eruption last year.

Katla’s magma chamber is 10 times the size of the one at nearby Eyjafjallajokull, which grounded planes because of its ash cloud and cost the European economy £1billion.

The blast caused problems for several weeks even though it was only classed as a minor eruption.

Scientists detected a series of small tremors at Katla in July but have recorded more worrying signs in the past few days that pressure is building. There has been a swarm of minor earthquakes that have now reached a magnitude of four.

Professor Pall Einarsson, of the University of Iceland, said: “It is definitely showing signs of restlessness. Volcanoes can be quite beautiful but they can also be quite destructive.”

An evacuation plan is in place for communities near Katla such as Vik, a small town of 300 people, but many fear they may have less than an hour to escape once the volcano goes up.

Katla – named after an evil troll – usually explodes twice a century. It last erupted in 1918 when the ash starved crops of sunlight and killed livestock.

Ice covering the volcano melted and flooded farms with a torrent of water said to be as wide as the Amazon.

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Holidaymakers warned on fake goods

 

Holidaymakers have been urged to avoid buying counterfeit goods abroad in a bid to crack down on serious organised crime. Gangs use the trade in fake goods to fund areas such as human trafficking, firearms and illegal drugs. Officers from the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) are at Glasgow Airport to drive home the message and show people examples of fake goods. Detective Chief Inspector Ronnie Megaughin, from the SCDEA, said: "The trade in fake goods is not a victimless crime; there is no such thing. It is linked to a bigger and more serious picture. Those who are involved in this illegal activity are very often also responsible for peddling drugs in our communities, forcing people into the sex trade and trading in firearms. "We are all tempted by a bargain, but the fake goods that you see at markets at home and abroad - such as football shirts, handbags, watches and sunglasses - are being sold to raise funds for organised crime groups. We live in a global marketplace and criminals have no regard for international boundaries, so it could mean that the cash you spend at markets on holiday is being used to fund drug dealing in your local area. "In addition, many of these products are dangerous because they are produced with no regard for health and safety regulations, so you could be putting your safety at risk by using items such as fake electrical goods, cigarettes and alcohol." The UK Border Agency works to uncover fake goods coming into the UK. Murdo MacMillan, assistant director for the agency in Scotland, said: "UK Border Agency officers operate 24 hours a day at ports, airports and mail sorting centres to prevent fake goods hitting the UK's streets, where they can be bought by unsuspecting members of the public. Many people enjoy finding a bargain but counterfeit goods are just the tip of the criminal iceberg." Mr Megaughin said: "There are some signs people can look for to help spot a fake. Price, place and packaging are all indicators of whether something is genuine or not. It is unlikely that genuine designer brands would be on sale at market stalls, and if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. "We are urging people to think very carefully before buying these products. It is up to all of us to help tackle this problem and reduce the impact of serious organised crime. The public can help by deciding not to buy fake goods."

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Mexico arrests senior Zetas crime boss

 

Mexico's armed forces arrested a high-level Zetas drug cartel boss who was in charge of operations in three states along the US border and was a right-hand man of the cartel chief. The military said the arrest of the suspect, whom it did not identify, was made in Saltillo, Coahuila state, as gang members unleashed a hail of gunfire in an apparent failed attempt to cover his escape. The suspect "is considered the operational chief for the criminal operations of the Zetas criminal group in Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas states," the Defense Ministry said in a statement. It said he was also a top lieutenant of cartel chief Heriberto Lazcano, in which case the arrest would be one of the largest blows ever dealt to the organization. The arrest followed running street battles involving troops, police and gang members in which a taxi driver was killed and eight other people were wounded, including three police, the Coahuila state prosecutor's office said. Authorities said the suspect would be presented to the media on Thursday. The arrest came the day after the United States accused Iranian operatives of having tried to contact a Mexican drug cartel as part of a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington. Officials did not specify which of Mexico's powerful cartels was allegedly approached, but US media reported that it was the Zetas, a notorious drug cartel made up of former Mexican special forces. The Zetas have been accused of a string of killings, kidnappings and macabre displays of brutality that have made them one of the most feared gangs in Mexico's spiraling drug violence. Set up in the 1990s by ex-elite soldiers turned hired killers, the Zetas are fighting their former allies the Gulf cartel and others. More than 45,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence since Mexico launched a massive military operation against the cartels in 2006 involving some 50,000 troops. Earlier on Wednesday, the navy said it had found the body of a man it described as the "chief financial operator of the Gulf Cartel" in Reynosa, Tamaulipas state, without saying who was behind the killing. Last week Mexican troops detained 32 alleged Zetas members, including 18 municipal police officers, in the eastern state of Veracruz. The sting came after the bodies of 35 people, most with criminal records, were dumped on a road in Veracruz city in broad daylight. The killings were claimed by a shadowy new vigilante group calling itself the "Zetas Killers."

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Thousands of children' sexually exploited by gangs

 

Thousands of children in England are being horrifically abused by gangs, the deputy children's commissioner has said, as she launches an inquiry. Current estimates say up to 10,000 children could be affected by the sexual abuse, but it is feared the true figure could be much higher. Sue Berelowitz said: "Right now thousands of children are being horrifically abused by gangs." She is mounting a two-year inquiry into the scale and scope of the problem. The exploitation involves children as young as 11 being targeted by groups of men or gangs. They are given gifts and attention, then sold or passed on to others once they are trapped. The issue reaches across all races and classes, said Ms Berelowitz.

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London Gang Sweep Leads To 13 Arrests

 

Dawn raids by the Metropolitan Police have led to the arrest of 13 gang members in north London on Thursday morning. The raids involves some 200 police officers under Operation Connect - a dedicated unit set up to crack down on violence by street gangs. The officers from Haringey borough, Met specialist units and Safer Transport teams, joined the Operation Connect team for the operation. Territorial Support Group officers forced entry to 17 addresses in two coordinated waves during early morning. All the individuals targeted during the operation were sent warning letters earlier this week offering them the chance to get help to divert from the gang lifestyle - or face tough enforcement consequences. The arrests were of 12 male and one female suspected gang members, ranging in age from 17 to 26. They were arrested for offences ranging from armed robbery, assault, affray, possession with intent to supply and violent disorder to non-residential burglary. They are currently being interviewed at a number of London police stations. Four of the 13 arrests related to offences committed in Tottenham in the recent London disorder.

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A PLANNED bid for freedom by Melbourne identity Tony Mokbel has been sensationally scrapped.

Tony Mokbel is expected to use a legal loophole to try to beat charges against him. Supplied

Mokbel was expected to use a police stuff-up to try to get off drug charges he has already admitted.

Police sources yesterday revealed that Mokbel's lawyers would try to use a legal loophole to beat charges against the notorious gangland boss.

Mokbel would have been the first of many criminals and suspects hoping to take advantage of a recent admission by Victoria Police that officers routinely failed to swear an oath when signing affidavits.

The embarrassing blunder could render any evidence gained from affidavits used to execute search warrants, bug telephones or install listening and tracking devices unable to be used in prosecutions.

The legal team was expected to seek an adjournment in the sentencing process to allow it to check the veracity of documents used by Victoria Police to gather evidence against Mokbel.

But Mokbel's lawyer Peter Faris QC appeared before the Supreme Court this morning and said they no longer wished to proceed with an application for an adjournment.

No reason was given for the change of plans.

A plea hearing for Mokbel will now go ahead on Tuesday.

Mokbel, 45, pleaded guilty in April to drug charges relating to him masterminding his drug gang while he was on the run in Victoria and Greece.

Bugging and tracking his phones enabled Purana taskforce detectives to work out where Mokbel had fled to - resulting in him being arrested in the Definia seaside cafe near Athens in 2007 after 15 months on the run.

Forensic accountants attached to Purana were able to establish that Mokbel made about $100 million through his gang, which he called The Company.

Company members were involved in the manufacture and distribution of very large quantities of amphetamines and trafficking ecstasy and cocaine.

The Company was formed largely to finance Mokbel's escape from Australia and pay for his life as a fugitive in Australia and Greece.

In a deal between his lawyers and prosecutors, outstanding drug charges were dropped in return for him pleading guilty to trafficking a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine, trafficking a large commercial quantity of ecstasy and urging an undercover operative to import a commercial quantity of ecstasy.

His fear of being charged over one or more underworld murders prompted him to disappear near the end of his March 2006 drug trial.

He fully expected to be convicted on the cocaine smuggling charge, telling close associates he would cop it and do the five years he expected to be jailed for.

What he couldn't stomach was the thought of a life sentence for murder.

He was sentenced in his absence to a nine-year minimum term from the 2006 drug trial. With time served before sentencing, he would be eligible to be released in February 2014.

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IT was a former Icelandic beauty queen who scooped the $A2.1 million reward for tipping off the FBI to the whereabouts of feared Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, it has been revealed.

In this courtroom sketch, James "Whitey" Bulger stands during his initial appearance in a federal courtroom in Boston in June. Source:AP

Bulger, who is charged with 19 murders in the 1970s and '80s in Boston, was arrested in June in Santa Monica, California, where he had been living under an assumed name with long-term girlfriend Catherine Greig.

The FBI has steadfastly refused to disclose the identity of the tipster, again declining to comment to AFP, but the Boston Globe says it was Anna Bjornsdottir, a 57-year-old graphic designer and yoga instructor.

Bjornsdottir, who was crowned Miss Iceland in 1974 and starred in that year's Miss Universe competition, tipped off police after recognising Bulger, 81, on the television news, reports said.

She is said to have befriended Greig, 60, in Santa Monica after the two women took a shared interest in a local stray cat.

The Boston Globe reported that Bjornsdottir, star of B-movies More American Graffiti and The Sword and the Sorcerer, moved to the LA area in the late 1970s with her first husband, rock star Jakob Magnusson.

Bulger, an Irish-American whose life inspired a gritty Hollywood movie, pleaded not guilty to the string of murder charges at a court appearance in July.

Police found some $A823,000 in cash and a "fairly big arsenal" of weapons in Bulger's modest apartment after his arrest, law enforcement sources said.

Greig, who is accused of helping to shield Bulger during his time on the run, was indicted by a federal grand jury and faces up to five years in prison and a $US250,000 fine if convicted.

Bulger was the inspiration for Jack Nicholson's character in The Departed, the 2006 crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and also starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.

Bulger and Greig had lived for years under the pseudonyms Charles and Carol Gasko.

In addition to accusations that Bulger murdered mob rivals, potential witnesses and others who threatened him, prosecutors accuse him of a crime spree spanning into the 1990s that included extortion, money laundering and, at one point, running guns to Northern Ireland's IRA militants.

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51-year-old man, who police believe to be a high-ranking member of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang, was questioned

 

Firearms, drugs, cash and fireworks have been seized during a raid on the Sydney home of a bikie member, police say. Officers from the NSW Gangs Squad allegedly found three rifles, a shotgun, fireworks, more than $17,000 in cash and a variety of drugs and drug paraphernalia when the they raided the Mt Druitt house in Sydney's west on Monday. A 51-year-old man, who police believe to be a high-ranking member of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang, was questioned on Tuesday night.

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Bouncers bailed over Crown casino death

 

THREE bouncers charged over the death of a Crown patron are still employed by the casino. Crown management said the men were still employed, pending the outcome of court proceedings, but had been given alternative duties so they would not deal with customers. The three appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court yesterday. One, Matthew Lawson, 26, of Hoppers Crossing, has been charged with manslaughter over the death of casino patron Anthony Dunning. Mr Dunning, 40, was at the casino with friends on July 3 when he was involved in an alleged dispute with security staff. He is said to have been pinned down on the floor for up to six minutes. Mr Dunning, of Ferntree Gully, is believed to have had a heart attack and died in hospital four days later. The casino incident was filmed by security cameras. It is believed investigators have interviewed dozens of people, including crowd controllers, friends of Mr Dunning and independent witnesses. The two other bouncers, Benjamin Michael Vigo, 23, of Hoppers Crossing, and Cameron Paul Sanderson, 39, of Northcote, have been charged with assault. Prosecutor Caroline Boult told the court that homicide squad detectives did not oppose a bail application by Mr Lawson. Ms Boult said investigators had interviewed and released him, pending a pathology report. His two co-accused were already on bail. The men walked from court together with their lawyer, Tony Hargreaves, after the brief hearing. The three are expected to appear in the same court in January. In a statement, Crown confirmed "that a male security officer has been charged with manslaughter and two other male security officers have been charged with assault over an incident at Crown on 3 July 2011, following which a customer, Mr Anthony Dunning, unfortunately passed away". The statement also said: "Pending the outcome of the court proceedings, the employees who have been charged will continue to perform alternate (sic) duties which require no contact with customers." Crown said it would make no further comment.

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number of members of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang are currently travelling in convoy through South Australia.

A number of members of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang are currently travelling in convoy through South Australia.

Police say that Crime Gang Task Force members are managing the convoy over the next few days as it heads across the State.

'The Rebels are heading to their annual national 'run' which is scheduled to start in Mildura on Friday, 7 October 2011.

'It is believed several hundred members will be attending.

'Police have been closely monitoring the Rebels group.'

Police say that one member has been reported for speed dangerous while riding his bike approximately 10 kms west of Kimba in the State's mid-west.

'Police will allege the 50-year-old Rebels member from Western Australia was detected travelling at 191 kilometres per hour in a 110 kmph zone,' police said.

'The rider immediately lost his licence for six months and had his Harley Davidson impounded for 28 days,' Detective Inspector Steve Taylor from Crime Gangs Task Force said.

'This is a typical example of why SAPOL directs resources into managing large numbers of outlaw bikies on our roads.

'Unless we convoy manage and control them they have a complete and utter disregard for the law and other road users.'

Police have a number of contingencies in place in the event that some of the Rebels head to Adelaide after the national run.

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Police find body in Perth motel car park

 

POLICE have found the body of a missing man wrapped in plastic in the back of a four-wheel drive vehicle in Perth, nearly two weeks after he went missing. The body of 38-year-old Mite Naumovski, a convicted drug trafficker, was found early yesterday afternoon in the car park at the Great Eastern Motor Lodge in Rivervale, in Perth's inner east. Police had been seeking the father of one since he failed to return after telling his family he was going for a motorbike ride. Police said several people had been taken into custody and were being questioned by Major Crime Squad detectives. Mr Naumovski's body was found at the same motor lodge where the body of Perth concrete firm owner Peter Davis was found earlier this year, also in the back of a car and wrapped in plastic. A man has been charged over the Mr Davis' death but police were making no connection between the deaths yesterday.

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WHOEVER shot the son of Mark Sandery broke "the paramount rule" of outlaw bikies, sources close to the gangs have warned.

 Two men broke into this Semaphore house, smashed windows and shot the son of Finks club member Mark Sandery. Source: Sunday Mail (SA) 

 A Finks member, right, who was at this Semaphore house where the son, 11, of notorious Fink Mark Sandery was shot on Friday night. Picture: Digitally enhanced imageSource: AdelaideNow 

 

The Advertiser  has been told the shooting of the boy, 11, goes against the core values of bikies.

"When it comes to dealing with rivals, there are no hard and fast rules except for two," a source said yesterday.

"You try not to do it in public, and the paramount rule is that you never, ever hurt the wife or the kids.

"To a lot of the guys, their children mean everything ... that's why you just don't do it."

Sandery was a member of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Club, but there are conflicting reports on whether he remains a member.

His son was injured when two male intruders burst into a home on Military Rd, Semaphore, on Friday night.

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Alleged hit-run death case on hold until next year

 

trial over an alleged hit-and-run death of a man in the rural area of Darwin has been put off until March next year. Hells Angels member Nicholas Frank "Shonky" Cassidy has been charged with causing the death of Levi Griffiths, whose body was found on the side of the Stuart Highway at Coolalinga last month. It is alleged he was hit by a utility and that his body was moved. Darwin Magistrates Court heard today that more than 100 witnesses will be called in the case. The court was told that all of the prosecution's forensic evidence has not been handed in yet. Cassidy's bail was continued.

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OUTLAW bikies are believed to have put a $500,000 price on the heads of gang members who allegedly shot the son of a former Finks member.

Former Finks Bikie gang member Mark Sandery outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

South Australian police are aware of the offer, which leaves them in no doubt club members want to handle reprisals for the shooting of the 11-year-old without their intervention.

Mark Sandery's son was shot twice in the leg after armed intruders forced their way into a Semaphore house on Friday night. Police have received no co-operation from witnesses.

A source told Melbourne's Herald Sun: "The Finks are offering $500,000 to bring this bloke into any clubhouse in Australia. Every crook in Australia knows about it."

The Advertiser understands the Women's and Children's Hospital, where the boy is recovering, remains on high security alert, with some staff said to be terrified there could be further outbreaks of violence.

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20 Hells Angels and Finks bikies will answer riot charges next month

 

20 Hells Angels and Finks bikies will answer riot charges next month over a wild brawl in an Adelaide nightclub. The case against the rival gangs came before the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday, with defence counsel for some of the men, Craig Caldicott, saying he had received 160 statements. Mr Caldicott said video footage of the alleged incident was also to be handed over by the prosecution. Police have charged 24 members of the two bikie gangs over the brawl in May. They previously alleged the rival gangs attacked each other with bar stools and bottles, forcing other patrons to flee for their own safety. Police used video footage from inside the nightclub to make the arrests. Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Bolton ordered all those charged over the alleged brawl to answer the charges on November 18. But she said it would be sensible for some to come to court in the morning and others later in the day. All those charged remain free on bail.

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Rival accused of killing Hells Angel boss in Nev

 

motorcycle gang member shot a chapter president of the rival Hells Angels four times in the back before fleeing a Nevada casino where a shootout occurred last weekend, police said in court records unsealed Thursday. Suspect Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez, 53, of San Jose, Calif., was named in a police affidavit as a member of the Vagos gang who killed 51-year-old Jeffery "Jethro" Pettigrew on Friday at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks. Pettigrew was president of the San Jose chapter of the Hells Angels. Security video shows Gonzalez approaching Pettigrew with a gun near a dance floor before casino patrons appeared to react to gunfire, Sparks police Detective John Patton said in the affidavit. Pettigrew fell to the floor before Gonzalez put the gun in his waistband and fled, the affidavit said. A search later turned up seven .40 caliber casings about 15 feet from the spot where Pettigrew was shot from behind, Patton said. Police earlier said Pettigrew had died from gunshot and stab wounds. The whereabouts of Gonzalez was unknown. Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick believes the Hells Angels are looking for him, too. Gammick declined to provide any more information about the suspect but said he may not survive to stand trial in Reno if rival gang members find him before law officers. "Think about it," Gammick told The Associated Press. "You shoot the Hells Angels president four times in the back ... What do you think is going to happen if the Hells Angels get their hands on him?" Two Vagos members were wounded in the shootout and a third was shot in the stomach the next day by a gunman in a passing car a few blocks from the Nugget and the town square where the 18th annual Street Vibrations motorcycle festival was held on Friday and Saturday. The mayor of Sparks canceled the event Saturday night and declared a state of emergency amid fears of more gang violence. Police arrested Cesar Villagrana, 36, of Gilroy, Calif., who they said is a Hells Angels member who was with Pettigrew when he was shot. Villagrana did not enter a plea at his arraignment Thursday in Sparks Justice Court on three felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon illegally and discharging a firearm within a structure. His lawyer, Richard Schonfeld, declined comment on the case but called his client a good family man with no prior felonies who was caring for his ill mother and stepfather. Judge Susan Deriso set a hearing for Oct. 5 to allow Schonfeld to argue for a reduction of his client's $500,000 cash-only bail. A preliminary hearing was set for Oct. 12.

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Police raid Commancheros bikies - 10 arrested

 

Detectives from Crime Gangs Task Force this morning led a series of raids on premises belonging to, or closely linked with, the Commancheros outlaw motorcycle gang. Ten were arrested for a number of drug and firearms offences. The operation involved 160 police who searched a total of 34 properties. During the searches police seized a total of six handguns, four rifles, a quantity of ammunition and prohibited weapons including; a flick knife, bayonets, tasers, batons. Police were particularly concerned to locate four of the handguns fully loaded – one was fitted with a silencer and a laser sight. Police allegedly located a handgun at the home of a Commanchero member who received a gunshot wound to the groin on 17 September 2011. A number of drugs were discovered including; a kilogram of cannabis, 22 cannabis plants, approximately 300 grams of amphetamine, a small quantity of pills (believed to be ecstasy), a large quantity of steroids and cocaine along with glassware, chemicals and other items of prescribed equipment used in the production of illicit drugs. Computers, 27 mobile phones, fireworks and $135,300 in cash were also seized. In addition to issuing a number of General Expiation Notices, Cannabis Expiation Notices, and Drug Diversions, Police arrested and charged; ·       27-year-old man of Prospect for a first instance warrant ·       26-year-old-woman of Hindmarsh Island for Traffic a Controlled Drug ·       26-year-old man of Parafield Gardens for Possess Class H firearm, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug, Possess Dangerous Article, Unlawful Possession of Cash (Commanchero member) ·       31-year-old man of Klemzig for Aggravated Affray, Possess Steroids and Prohibited Weapon (Commanchero member) ·       45-year-old man of Enfield for Possess Class H Firearm and Possess Prescription Drugs (Commanchero member) ·       26-year-old man of Clarence Gardens for Cultivate Commercial Quantity of Cannabis, Traffic Controlled Drug, Possess Prescribed Equipment, Theft of Electricity and Possess Prohibited Weapon. ·       46-year-old man of Henley Beach South for Unlawful Possession of Cash. ·       51-year-old man of Torrensville for Possess Class H Firearms and Possess Firearms, Possess Silencer, Unlawful Possession of Cash, Possess Prescribed Equipment, Possess Prohibited Weapons. ·       49-year-old man of Adelaide for Possess Prohibited Weapons and Possess Prescription Drugs. ·       36-year-old man of Fulham for Unlawful Possession of Cash and Traffic Commercial Quantity of Controlled Drug. Reported: ·       28-year-old man for Possess Prescription Drugs, Possess Prescribed Equipment and Carry Offensive Weapon (Commanchero member) ·       40-year-old man of Burton for Cultivate Cannabis

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