How Australian police stopped up to 21 murder plots

Up to 21 murder plots including hits on two organised crime families were stopped because of intel from the AN0M app. WARNING: Graphic

Exclusive: Up to 21 murder plots – including hits on five members of two organised crime families, assassinations in cafes and a fugitive killer’s plan to execute police – were foiled using intelligence from AN0M.

The lives of innocent members of the public along with bikies, drug-dealers and organised crime figures were saved after Australian Federal Police monitoring the AN0M communications alerted their state and territory colleagues to the impending danger.

Five separate execution threats made against two organised crime families were among the plots foiled, while the vast majority of those involved as both perpetrators and planned victims were bikies.

It can also be revealed the kidnapping of former Lone Wolf bikie Dillon Mancuso at Bringelly in Sydney’s south west, last week was discovered because those involved were allegedly using AN0M devices.

The Lone Wolfs bikie gang feature in exchanges of encrypted messages on the AN0M app used by police. Picture: Supplied

Mancuso, 37, was rescued by police hours after being taken to a warehouse at Revesby, where he was allegedly bashed and ransom pictures of him sent to family and friends. Some of those pictures were sent via AN0M, meaning police could quickly intervene and pass on information to their New South Wales counterparts.

In another incident, Operation Ironside picked up intelligence from the AN0M devices that an outlaw motorcycle gang had tasked some of its members to do a drive-by shooting of a rival clubhouse.

Police swooped, arresting one person and seizing a stolen car.

Dillon Mancuso, a former Lone Wolf, is the alleged victim of a violent kidnapping which ended with 11 men being arrested, after a stand-off with police that lasted almost 12 hours. Picture: Supplied

Alleged ransom picture of former bikie Dillon Mancuso. Picture: Supplied

Detective-Superintendent Jason McArthur from the AFP-led National Anti-Gangs Squad said people needed to be aware of the dangers involved in joining an outlaw motorcycle gang.

“What I can probably say quite comfortably is around 90 per cent of the threats to life identified during Operation Ironside are directly related to outlaw motorcycle gangs,’’ he said.

“Once you join these gangs you’re putting your life and your family’s lives on the line for a long time to come without realising it.

“One of the issues we have with some of the younger people joining the gangs who think they can join, make a bit of money, get a flash car and get a gold necklace around their neck and have a great time and live the life; not realising that there’s definitely consequences for joining these gangs.”

Detective-Superintendent Des Appleby said one plot was organised by a figure overseas, which saw a Comanchero bikie instructed to shoot a man over a drug dispute.

He said the Comanchero tracked their intended victim via social media, and planned to attack him when he visited his gym.

“They had a (getaway) car parked in a nearby street with petrol already in it, a stolen car with cloned plates and they were going to that night, go and collect the car, and two gunmen would go around and shoot him and drive away in that particular car, burn it,’’ he said.

AFP Detective-Superintendent Des Appleby. Picture: News Corp Australia

The AFP alerted the state police, who seized the stolen car, thwarting the murder.

Det Supt Appleby said on another occasion, Comanchero bikies were plotting to shoot a member of the Mongols. AFP tipped off the state police, who arrested people for possession of stolen vehicles and thwarted the attack that way.

In another incident, police discovered via AN0M communications that state police had done a routine vehicle stop on an outlaw motorcycle gang member. Subsequent information revealed weapons in the vehicle were being moved to a safe house. State police were able to intervene and seize the weapons.

Five separate circumstances of threats to life relating to two organised crime families who had been involved in a previous shooting were identified by AN0M communications and passed on to state police and an overseas law enforcement agency.

In another incident, Operation Ironside intelligence helped police identify a person suspected of a violent home invasion in New South Wales, where he allegedly stabbed a man in the chest. The AFP used AN0M communications to track the man, who allegedly threatened to kill another person. The incident happened in October.

In another case, a suspect wanted for murder was in hiding from police and had fled interstate. AFP intelligence from Operation Ironside indicated he intended to shoot police if they cornered him. This information was provided to state police prior to his arrest so they could mitigate the safety threat to police when they arrested him.

A Comanchero vest seized as part of raids conducted after Operation Ironside.

But the vast majority of threats to life were picked up in bikie communications on AN0M, with police undertaking a number of actions to thwart the violence. This included deploying surveillance units and uniformed police, serving firearm prohibition orders, seizing stolen cars and carrying out search warrants.

Police acting on another Ironside tip-off were also able to move in and disrupt a group of bikies who had gathered with firearms in an attempt to find and attack a person who had “ripped-off’’ a member of their gang in a drug deal.

At least four people were saved when police discovered plans by an outlaw motorcycle gang to shoot, kidnap or assault people they claimed owned them money, or could have exposed their criminal activities.

Some shootings were planned to occur in public places such as cafes.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan says police arrested those involved in criminal activity to prevent acts of violence against innocent victims. Picture: Supplied

Ironside also provided intelligence which helped WA police locate a gun allegedly used by a Comanchero bikie in a drive-by shooting in April. Three Comanchero are facing court over the incident in which shots were fired into a home.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan said the force’s priority was to prevent any acts of violence.

“As we have sadly seen too often in Australia, even when criminals are targeting each other, innocent people can be hurt or be killed when they are caught in the crossfire,’’ he said.

“I’d especially like to thank our state police colleagues for how professionally they have managed these serious threats to life incidents. They have saved the lives of a large number of people.

“As police charged to uphold the rule of law, we will not stand for this in our communities.”

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Originally published as How Australian police stopped up to 21 murder plots