Rock Machine bikie gang president Alexander Ilich ordered to tell police where his missing Mercedes is hidden

Rock Machine bikie gang leader Alexander Ilich has been ordered by a magistrate to reveal where he has hidden his missing Mercedes-Benz so it can be seized under proceeds of crime laws.

Alexander Ilich, unmasked, surrounded by fellow members of the Rock Machine bikie gang. Picture: Facebook

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The president of the Rock Machine bikie gang has been ordered to tell police where he has hidden his black Mercedes-Benz sedan so they can confiscate it.

Alexander Michael Ilich, who was caught with 1kg of methamphetamine worth $500,000 and a Glock pistol, is being pursued by police under confiscation of assets legislation.

Detectives have obtained a restraining order over his cash and two Mercedes-Benz vehicles – one of which has been located since the order was granted – after Ilich was caught discussing the matter with his girlfriend in an intercepted prison telephone call.

Ilich, 42, was arrested by police last August and charged with drug trafficking, firearms and money laundering offences. He has pleaded guilty to the drug and firearms charges and will be arraigned in the District Court for sentencing next month.

The charges stemmed from a search of his Athol Park apartment during which detectives found digital scales, a vacuum sealer, steroids and a telescopic ladder.

When detectives found ladder marks on a wall in a common area adjacent his apartment, a ceiling area was searched and a kilogram of methamphetamine, a Glock pistol and $21,400 in cash was found. Another search in the same area search located a bottle of fantasy and a large quantity of ammunition that included 9mm rounds for the Glock, .233 rifle rounds and five boxes of 12-gauge shotgun shells.

Drugs and guns seized by SA Police during raids targeting the Rock Machine outlaw motorcycle gang. Picture: SA Police

In September last year, police launched confiscation of assets proceedings against Ilich and obtained a restraining order over the two Mercedes vehicles, the cash hidden with the drugs and a further $18,000 in his bank accounts.

Court documents reveal police had searched numerous locations trying to locate the vehicles and the fact that Ilich’s girlfriend Tara Chan “is unwilling to help police.’’

The documents also reveal that on September 13, Ilich spoke to Ms Chan via telephone from the Adelaide Remand Centre and the pair discussed the vehicles.

“Have you picked up the Mercedes yet?’’ Ilich asked Ms Chan. “Yeah,’’ she responded.

“Is it in the garage?’’ Ilich then asked. “Yeah,’’ Chan replied.

“Thank God, good,’’ Ilich then said.

In the call Chan states “how difficult’’ it was for her to find the car and she had to get “Sam” to drive one back.

Alexander Ilich was caught on an intercepted telephone call discussing the missing Mercedes with his girlfriend.

In the Adelaide Magistrates Court in January, police first sought the order compelling Ilich to provide a sworn statement concerning his dealings with the two vehicles that included their locations, the location of the garage mentioned in the phone call and the names of anyone communicated with in connection with the vehicles.

The order was granted in April, but in May Ilich’s lawyer Harry Patsouris obtained an extension to comply with the order and sought more particulars of the conversation to enable his client to comply.

In an affidavit lodged in an interlocutory hearing on August 11, Ilich states “I do not have an independent recollection’’ of the conversation with Chan and he “did not have a transcript of that conversation’’ to allow him to comply with the order.

Magistrate Alison Adair found Ilich’s affidavit did not comply with the court order, but granted him an extension to file another affidavit that did so.

While Ilich was granted more time to file a new affidavit, it is understood police have since located one of the Mercedes vehicles, but the second remains hidden.

The matter will return to court on September 17.

The Rock Machine gang emerged in Adelaide about five years ago after starting in Canada in the 1980s. It is notorious for a long-running war with the Hells Angels in Canada, which claimed 160 lives between 1994 and 2002.