SA detectives uncover weapons cache hidden inside ute at Newton, as bikie links are investigated
A man with suspected national bikie links has been granted bail after police uncovered a cache of dangerous weapons, including a fully automatic rifle stolen from the Australian Defence Force.
Police & Courts
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A fully-automatic rifle believed to have been stolen from the Australian Defence Force was among a cache of weapons professionally concealed inside a Holden ute at Newton.
Detectives say the “rare” discovery is linked with national bikie activity and follows arrests at a clandestine meth lab in Harolds Cross, regional NSW.
Police believe a crime syndicate behind that lab could also be responsible for a lab in Morphett Vale – one of the biggest ever seen by SA Police – and another found at Panorama.
In January, Rohan Peter Wakefield, 32, was arrested following investigations from the Harolds Cross lab.
It is alleged methamphetamine and firearms were found in the rear tray of a Holden ute parked at his Newton address.
Fresh charges were laid against Wakefield after detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Branch allegedly uncovered more guns inside the vehicle following extensive searches.
The 32-year-old, who now lives in Piccadilly, was granted bail after appearing in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday afternoon.
Among the weapons found was a military grade Steyr AUG 5.56, which was believed to be stolen from the ADF, and a Colt AR15 5.56 semiautomatic rifle with a scope attached.
The weaponry was hidden inside professionally made compartments behind the driver and passenger seats of the vehicle.
The sophisticated compartments were electronically operated.
Detective Superintendent Stephen Taylor said officers are actively investigating links between the guns and the drug labs in Harolds Cross, Morphett Vale and Panorama.
“There is certainly a bikie element, certainly towards the top of that organised crime syndicate – at this stage we can’t prove that, but we are working towards that,” he said.
“I can’t say what gang at this stage, but I will say it is a national gang.”
“This is very much a live investigation and will continue along for some time … this (investigation) has been going for 12 months,” Supt Taylor said.
“We are getting closer to the hierarchy of these groups”.
Supt Taylor said the weapon discovery was “very rare in South Australia”.
Detectives are searching for an SKS semiautomatic carbine or AK-47, after ammunition matching those guns were also allegedly found in the man’s ute.
Supt Taylor said hidden compartments are gaining prevalence in the drug and firearm trade.
“Sometimes they are operated with a key code that’s attached to another device in the vehicle, it might be a remote control.
“Sometimes there’s a sequence of events – it might be you need to put the vehicle in reverse, foot on the brake and maybe turn the airconditioning up to three or something like that.”
The ADF is leading the investigating into how the 32-year-old acquired the Steyr military rifle.
An ADF spokeswoman would not comment further on the theft while the matter is under investigation.
Supt Taylor said: “We are really pleased to be able to take these firearms off the hands of criminals”.
All firearms were traced through a national firearms database. The last known origins of the AR15 were tracked back to 1980 in the ACT.
“It should have been part of a buyback scheme in 1996, but it wasn’t, so it’s basically gone off the radar since that period of time,” Supt Taylor said.
The serial numbers on the handguns were “obliterated” and could not be traced.
“I don’t believe that these guns were used in South Australia at this stage.
“It may be the case that these firearms had recently just come to SA for criminal purposes.”
Between January 2019 there has been a total of 20 drive-by shootings at homes. Ten of those are confirmed to be bikie-related and six of those are connected to the drug trade.