Nine alleged patched members of the Hells Angels bikie gang have been arrested during raids in the South East as part of a national joint-police agency blitz last week.
During Operation Morpheus, 106 people and 259 charges were laid during 68 police raids and 130 firearm prohibition order (FPO) compliance checks across the country on 5-9 August.
Police seized weapons, explosives and drugs, as well as illicit cigarettes, tobacco and vapes and more than $100,000 as part of the “national week of action”.
On Monday 5 August, police executed seven search warrants in Cranbourne East, Cranbourne North, Dandenong South, Sydenham, Mt Eliza and Hastings as part of a joint Australian Border Force and VIPER Taskforce investigation.
They seized a sawn-off shotgun, a 3D printed firearm, three imitation firearms, ammunition, and illicit drugs including liquid steroids, powdered steroids, testosterone, prescription drugs amphetamine and methylamphetamine.
The nine alleged Hells Angels members arrested were charged with offences including possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, firearm possession, manufacturing/trafficking steroids and drug possession.
Two clandestine steroid laboratories were located and dismantled at the Mount Eliza and Sydenham properties, police say.
Across the country, police seized:
• 35 firearms, 742 explosives or various types of ammunition and 18 weapons
• More than 740,000 illicit cigarettes, more than 900 illicit vapes, more than 75kg of looseleaf tobacco and more than 125kg of shisha
• Varying drugs in various quantities, including cocaine, methylamphetamine, MDMA, ecstasy, GHB, 1,4-Butanediol, and
• More than $100,000 cash
A further 72 traffic offences were detected, with 29 defect notices issued and one vehicle impounded.
Police also served 14 FPOs.
Operation Morpheus focused on drugs, guns, FPO compliance, explosives as well as outlaw motorcycle gang members involved in family violence matters.
“The social and economic impact of outlaw motorcycle gangs on our communities is significant,” Acting Commander Jason Kelly from Victoria Police’s Crime Command and chair of National Taskforce Morpheus said.
“They are motivated by greed and profit and we know that they have a culture of secrecy and intimidation and a greater propensity for extreme violence.”
Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) research found the average costs of crime and prison alone add up to about $1.3 million per OMCG member.
“Research has found that four in five Australian OMCG members have a recorded criminal history, and they were nearly three times as likely to have contact with the criminal justice system by age 33 as other men,” AComm Kelly said.
“This will not be tolerated.”
Taskforce Morpheus was a joint initiative between state and territory police, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Defence Force, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, Services Australia and New Zealand police.
