Police are targeting Australian bikies who are working from Southeast Asia

Police are turning the heat on Australian bikie gang members who have moved to Southeast Asia, responsible for trafficking tonnes of drugs every year.

Australian bikies who have moved to Southeast Asia to escape the attention of police are being targeted to disrupt their continuing criminal activities.

Federal police believe expat gang members are responsible for trafficking tonnes of drugs, including methamphetamines and cocaine – into the country each year.

The bikies are from gangs, including the Comanchero, Hells Angels, Bandidos and Lone Wolf, who have either moved offshore individually or with others to set up chapters in Southeast Asia.

In particular, groups from Western Australia are setting up in Southeast Asia, with members residing there temporarily or permanently.

Besides masterminding their own drug shipments, the gang members are sourcing methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine for outlaw motorcycle gangs and other organised crime groups in Australia.

Hells Angels' club insignia

Lone Wolf Australia MC patch.

The initiative was discussed at a meeting of law enforcement agencies from across Asia, Europe and Australia to share intelligence and identify opportunities to jointly target bikies. Assistant Commissioner Crime Command Nigel Ryan said established Aus­tralian gangs had expanded their influence in Southeast Asia over the past 10 years to ensure better control over their illicit supply chains, trafficking corridors and money laundering networks.

“Police operations during the past 10 years have targeted more than 30 Australian OMCG members offshore by referring intelligence and ­information to local law enforcement,” Assistant Commissioner Ryan said.

Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan. Picture: AFP

“With our partners in Southeast Asia and via joint ­efforts, including through joint teams in Thailand, ­Vietnam and Cambodia, we have supported investigations into these groups and their criminal activities,” Asst Commissioner Ryan said.

“We are making the lives of OMCG members very uncomfortable offshore. We are working with Australian and foreign partners, in some cases, to force their return to Australia to face the justice system.

“About 70 per cent of the transnational serious organised crime threats impacting Australia come from overseas, and a sizeable chunk of those are OMCG members, or criminals, who regularly work with OMCG facilitators or distributors.’’

The two-day global Countering OMCG Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam discussed OMCG methodologies, including how their reach into local communities and how they legitimise their operations.