Ex-Bandidos and Finks gang members in tax sting

EX-BANDIDOS and Finks gang members are among more than 50 former bikies caught up in a multimillion-dollar tax sting, with two of them accounting for almost $1m, in action brought against them.

Former Bandidos Centro sergeant-at-arms Zivko Stojakovic at Brisbane Magistrates Court.

EX-BANDIDOS and Finks gang members are among more than 50 former bikies caught up in a multimillion-dollar tax sting.

The Sunday Mail can reveal just two high-profile former bikies have combined bills of almost $1m, in action brought by Queensland’s Organised Crime Gangs Group and the Australian Taxation Office.

Former Bandidos Centro chapter sergeant-at-arms Zivko Stojakovic, 30, was issued a $246,000 bill, after he was assessed to pay income tax for 2014, with interest added.

Jacob Stanes, charged with fraud over an alleged boiler room syndicate.

Former Finks member Jacob Stanes was slapped with a $667,000 bill for 2014-16.

The ATO has lodged claims in the Supreme Court in Brisbane but defences are yet to be filed.

The court documents don’t detail what the claims relate to. Mr Stojakovic previously had an interest in a tattoo parlour.

Stanes, 24, has been charged over his alleged involvement in a Gold Coast “boiler room” which fleeced millions through a cold calling scam.

The scam allegedly deceived investors who believed their money was trading in commodities and foreign exchange but was actually never invested.

Organised Crime Gangs Group Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar told The Sunday Mail unexplained wealth was a focus for Queensland investigators.

While not commenting specifically on their cases, he said the “bottom line” was decimating gangs in any way possible while also targeting banking, legal and financial professionals, who were “facilitators” in cleaning dirty money.

“There is no fun in being a crook unless you can make money out of it,” Det Insp Asnicar said.

“And that’s what they are there for. They’re all doing it, they’ve all got houses, they’ve all got cars. There would be no exceptions.”

Det Insp Asnicar said police and financial investigators working behind-the-scenes tried to “put together a package that is going to cause a lot of grief to the OMCGs”.

“Generally what we’re finding is the people we focus on … they won’t lodge a tax return,” Det Insp Asnicar said.

Lodgement demands can be issued, forcing them to lodge a tax return.

As part of the enforcement, criminal confiscation teams examine their assets.

“You are declaring $10,000 a year on your tax return now we force you to do one, but you own seven houses and you drive a Maserati and you’ve got all these things,” Det Insp Asnicar said.

With high disposable incomes, one person nabbed had $13,000 worth of running shoes, Det Insp Asnicar said.

When asked if particular gangs were being targeted Det Insp Asnicar said “we don’t care about clubs”.

“We’ll take anybody that we can,” he said.