Operation Ironside: Bikies using AN0M warned to hand themselves in

Australia’s bikie-busting cop has issued a threat to violent gangs caught in the AN0M web who are “disloyal thugs” and peddle drugs to children.

Senior bikie-busting cop Andrew Donoghoe has dismissed outlaw motorcycle gangs as disloyal “costumed-wearing gangs’’ of thugs who dodge their child support payments, evade tax and peddle drugs to children.

AFP Commander Donoghoe, from the National Anti-Gangs Squad, also warned any bikie who had been using the AN0M encrypted devices to hand themselves in because “we know who you are and what you have done.’’

In a blistering opinion article, Comm Donoghoe said Operation Ironside had “destroyed the notion that outlaw motorcycle gangs are a brotherhood to each other.’’

“The fantasy that these motorcycle gangs are keen to portray of being a ‘brotherhood’ that loves riding Harleys and doing a teddy bear run to your local hospital on the weekend has been totally shattered by Operation Ironside,’’ he said.

“These thugs have been exposed for what they really are – costume wearing gangs of criminals who don’t care about who they hurt to get what they want and profit from crime.’’

His comments come after it was revealed police had been secretly monitoring a Trojan horse encrypted communications platform known as AN0M for the past three years, copying 25 million messages sent in which bikies and organised crime syndicates plotted murders, drug-trafficking and money-laundering.

AFP’s National Anti-Gangs Squad Commander Andrew Donoghoe. Picture: Adam Head

Operation Ironside has destroyed any notion that OMCGs are a brotherhood who are loyal to each other.

We have even seen their willingness to attempt to murder members of their own gang.

People joining criminal gangs are dispensable and when you can’t make money for them, you are of no use anymore.

They are purely an organised crime network that is there to make money, generally off drug dealing, sometimes off intimidation and acts of violence and with no remorse for anyone, including innocent members of the community being hurt or killed in the process.”

The fantasy that these motorcycle gangs are keen to portray of being a ‘brotherhood’ that loves riding Harleys and doing a teddy bear run to your local hospital on the weekend has been totally shattered by Operation Ironside.

What the public is now seeing from this operation is what we in law enforcement have known for a very long time; these motorcycle gangs are organised criminals who use violence, fear and intimidation to peddle misery and pain on our community.

Comanchero Victorian Sergeant-at-Arms Christian Taumoefolau was this week charged as part of Operation Ironside. Picture: Ian Currie

They import, manufacture and traffic huge quantities of illicit drugs like Ice that are destroying families and communities in rural and regional Australia. They trade in firearms and other weapons that are being used to commit the most violent of crimes in our society, killing and maiming without remorse. They are laundering money, avoiding paying child support, evading taxes and stealing from our welfare system – money that could otherwise be used to build hospitals and schools, fix roads or employ more nurses, doctors and teachers. These thugs have been exposed for what they really are – costume wearing gangs of criminals who don’t care about who they hurt to get what they want and profit from crime.

The violence perpetrated by these gang thugs is horrific. We have seen gangs attempting to organise bashings, kidnaps and even discussing murder contracts – through our strong partnerships with State and Territory Police these crimes have been prevented or where they have already occurred, offenders arrested and charged.

Comanchero Motorcycle Club President Mick Murray and Victorian Sergeant-at-Arms Christian Taumoefolau leading a ride. Picture: Ian Currie

Their desire to access and trade in firearms is insatiable and frightening; I see no legitimate reason that a bikie should have access to a semi-automatic pistol, shotgun or a loaded fully automatic assault weapon. That these weapons are being sourced and traded on encrypted communications devices by criminal gangs in this country post Port Arthur is a real concern for the safety and security of all Australians.

We are committed to eradicating the scourge of these criminal bikie gangs through persistent, nationally-co-ordinated and cross-jurisdictional targeting activities – we will be unrelenting in our commitment to that purpose.

Operation Ironside is shining a very bright light on the dark corners of Organised Crime in Australia, and all Australians need to sit up and take notice.

These criminal syndicates are making millions of dollars by peddling their misery on our kids, destroying families in their wake. The drugs they import into Australia like Ice are sold on the streets of every major city and rural town, tearing our local communities apart.

From Mt Isa to Dubbo to Ballarat to Coober Pedy to Geraldton, the addictions they feed is fuelling domestic and family violence, pushing our hospitals, police and welfare support services to breaking point. Spend a weekend in any public hospital emergency department in this country and you will see first-hand the damage Organised Crime is doing to this country.

The impact of Organised Crime on the national economy is very real; when these criminals divert the billions they make from crime out of the legitimate national economy through laundering, new hospitals, schools and roads are not being built, more nurses, teachers and police are not being recruited, trained and employed, and welfare services are overrun.

The AN0M app which was secretly operated and monitored by the FBI and AFP.

By laundering the proceeds of their crimes, these criminal syndicates are effectively taking money and services from the mums and dads, the elderly, the vulnerable and the youth in our communities, stealing their opportunities for a better life.

These encrypted devices are not being used by legitimate small business in our communities to trade and do business. They are not being used by Mums and Dads to send messages to their kids about weekend sport or the latest Netflix series.

Tech-savvy Grandparents are not using them to order medicines or grocery deliveries to their homes. Not one legitimate user of any of these devices has been identified in this operation. What Operation Ironside has shown is that these devices are being used for one purpose and one purpose only – to establish, nurture and support organised crime in this country – and Australians should not accept that as the status quo.

More than 4000 police from policing services across the country deployed on Operation Ironside, all with the same goal – to work together to cause maximum damage to the criminal networks that harm our communities.

We are resolute in our targeting of bikie gangs and organised crime groups to protect our communities from the harm they cause; the message from Operation Ironside is clear – we are more organised and co-ordinated than they are, we are smarter than they are, we don’t back down or attack our own like they do, we have more members than they do and we are coming for them no matter where they are.

If you were on AN0M, hand yourself in. We know who you are and what you have done.

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Originally published as Operation Ironside: Bikies using AN0M warned to hand themselves in