Members of alleged Bayside drug ring front Cleveland court

As four members of an alleged Brisbane drug ring with ties to an outlaw motorcycle gang appeared in court today, SES volunteers were uncovering weapons buried in bushland where the syndicate allegedly hid parcels of drugs.

Matthew Cross, 26, was one of four men who stands accused of running a sophisticated drug ring in Brisbane’s Bayside.

FOUR members of an alleged Brisbane drug ring with ties to an outlaw motorcycle gang will spend the next two months behind bars as they await their next court date.

Five people charged over alleged bikie drug ring

Morningside brothers Matthew Peter Cross, 32, and Andrew John Cross, 23, along with Lloyd Michael Foran, 23, of Fortitude Valley and Howard Neale, 26 of Birkdale appeared in Cleveland Magistrates Court today on a string of drug trafficking charges.

Police will allege that Matthew Cross, 26, had links to the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

The men were arrested yesterday — along with a 22-year-old Fortitude Valley woman — as part of Operation Papa Hierarchy, an 18-month investigation into a multi-million dollar drug syndicate that is alleged to have been active in Brisbane’s Bayside for at least five years.

Operation Papa Hierarchy used covert cameras that captured “hundreds of hours of footage” of the men who allegedly buried drug packages in bushland at properties in Sheldon and Ransome.

As part of the investigation, police seized 1kg of cocaine, heroin, methylamphetamine and cannabis along with $300,000 in cash and eight cars worth $227,000.

Detective senior sergeant Mark Mooney.

Bayside detective senior sergeant Mark Mooney said police would allege in court that the head of the syndicate was Matthew Cross — who police allege is an ex-Bandidos member who now has links to the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

This morning, SES crews continued to search bushland on West Mount Cotton Road at Sheldon and Chelsea Road, Ransome for buried drugs or money.

Police and SES volunteers found more packages, suspected to be firearms, buried in bushland at Sheldon today.

Five more packages — believed to be three rifles, a handgun and a shotgun — were found this morning at Sheldon by the search crews and have been taken for forensic testing.

At Cleveland today, Magistrate Deborah Vasta ordered that the courtroom be closed during each of the men’s mentions.

All four were remanded in custody and will appear for a committal mention at Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 5.

The 22-year-old Fortitude Valley woman will appear in Cleveland Magistrate court on July 9.