How Operation Ironside’s AN0M sting put a hole in bikie gangs
This is how Operation Ironside has put a serious hole in Australia’s bikie gangs and their associates, who make up a third of those charged. SEE THE LIST
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The full extent of the Operation Ironside police sting on the nation’s outlaw motorcycle gangs can finally be revealed, with gang members and their associates making up one third of those charged.
Ninety-nine of the 303 people arrested by state, territory and federal police are members, former members or known associates of a bikie gang.
The Comanchero were the hardest hit, with 76 members or associates charged, including several high-ranking members of the gang.
And with the Australian Federal Police still working their way through the 25 million messages intercepted via the Trojan horse encrypted app AN0M, further charges will be laid in coming months.
The Lone Wolf (eight people) and Rebels (nine people) gangs were also hit hard, while a handful of people allegedly linked to the Mongols, Finks and Bandidos were also charged.
The head of the National Anti-Gangs Squad, Detective Superintendent Jason McArthur, said the arrest of almost 100 people alleged to be bikies or linked to bikies had “a massive impact’’.
“About one third of the (Ironside) arrests are OMCG related; either OMCG members or associates,’’ he said.
Police also targeted the leadership of the gangs, with three sergeants-at-arms charged, one club president, and a number of office bearers also charged.
Det Supt McArthur said most of the alleged bikie-linked people charged had been from South Australia, while the Comanchero gang had been hit particularly hard in South Australia and Victoria.
“What the AFP and our state partners have done with the Comanchero has significantly impacted them and their business model,’’ he said.
“This comes from the number of significant arrests. There’s obviously a lot more work to do, there still a lot offshore who we’re looking at as well.’’
Police are known to be focused on Comanchero figures overseas including Sydney man Mark Buddle, who was last known to be in Iraq, another Sydney figure, fugitive drug kingpin Hakan Ayik, and Melbourne’s “model bikie’’ Hasan Topal, who is wanted for questioning in relation to two murders, but is thought to have fled to Turkey.
Ayik is hiding in Turkey from both the police and from underworld figures, after he was outed as the original “influencer’’ who spread the AN0M encrypted device across the underworld, not knowing it was being run by the FBI and monitored by the Australian Federal Police.
“I can’t comment on what’s happening overseas at the moment, but I think I could probably assure everyone that the AFP and its partners are definitely exploiting the Ironside information, and the networks that we’ve identified, and we’re actively targeting some of these Comanchero members offshore,” Det Supt McArthur said
“A lot of them have moved offshore because they are worried about police attention. And there are a number now who are actively in hiding, some very high profile ones who are hiding because they know that we’re coming for them”.
Across all states, police had seized huge amounts of cash from bikies and their associates meaning a number of them now owed other, dangerous crime figures significant amounts of money.
Det Supt McArthur said in some instances, police would allege bikie gangs had purchased a share of drug importations, for more than $1 million, alongside other criminal groups. Police claim to have disrupted those planned importations, arrested those involved, and seized the drugs and/or the cash involved.
“The cash that we’ve seized, which they now owe debts on, the drugs that have been seized which they now owe debts on,’’ he said.
Speaking generally, Det Supt McArthur said one of the benefits of Operation Ironside was police now had a much better understanding of the methodology involved in importing, manufacturing and moving drugs.
He said police were methodically working their way through the information obtained via the AN0M devices.
“I’d make the point that this is just the start for us,’’ he said.
“Ironside ...is not the only part. There will be people out there who think they’re okay, because they weren’t on the AN0M platform. But they’re not okay. We are still coming.’’
WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED
COMANCHERO
HAYDEN BUBNER
Alleged treasurer of the South Australian Comanchero. Bubner, 33, of Adelaide, was one of five men charged with conspiracy to murder and participate in a criminal enterprise in relation to an alleged plot to assassinate a suspected police information a drive-by shooting on a busy café strip. He is alleged to have sourced a sub-machine gun.
APOSTLE BROIKOS
Alleged Comanchero associate Broikos, 19, from Burnside, was charged with two counts of trafficking a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine. A court was told he had allegedly distributed encrypted AN0M devices to members of the Comanchero, and had agreed to wipe the devices of data on at least 10 occasions.
GORAN MAZIBRADA
An alleged member of the Comanchero, the 43-year-old was charged with conspiracy to cause serious harm. Adelaide Magistrates Court heard he was allegedly involved in a plot to lure a fellow bikie to the Adelaide Aquatic Centre to seriously assault him.
DOMENIC FERNANDO FRANZE
An alleged member of the Comanchero, the 23-year-old is also charged with conspiracy to cause serious harm. Adelaide Magistrates Court heard he was allegedly involved in a plot to lure a fellow bikie to the Adelaide Aquatic Centre to seriously assault him.
DANNY RAPLEY
A well-known Comanchero member from Adelaide, the 43-year-old has been charged with causing serious harm with intent to cause serious harm.
CHRISTIAN TAUMOEFOLAU
The 31-year-old the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Victorian Comanchero, is charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of border controlled drugs.
TEVITA OFAHENGAUE
The 21-year-old has been charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of meth. Melbourne Magistrates Court heard Ofahengauewas a Hell’s Angels “prospect’’ and police also believed he was an associate of senior Comanchero Christian Taumoefolau.
EREN KAYA
The 28-year-old Sergeant-at-Arms from Victoria was charged with possessing a trafficable quantity of firearms.
MUHAMMED TOPAL
Victorian-based brother of high-ranking Comanchero figure Hasan Topal, who has fled to Turkey. The 25-year-old was charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of border controlled drugs.
GEORGE AFEAKI
Alleged Comanchero member from Victoria, the 26-year-old charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence, trafficking a drug of dependence and handling stolen goods.
FALGOFIE TUFUGA
Alleged Comanchero member from Victoria, the 24-year-old was charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence.
PATRICK O’KELLY
A 31-year-old alleged associate of the Comanchero in Victoria, was charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence.
JOSHUA BRENNAN
Comanchero member from Victoria, the 30-year-old charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence, trafficking a drug of dependence, three counts of possessing the proceeds of crime, and drug possession.
EMMANUEL VAMVOUKAKIS
The sergeant-at-arms of the NSW South Coast Comanchero was arrested at his home near Wollongong and charged with conspiring to import cocaine, dealing with the proceeds of crime and directing the activities of a criminal organisation. Police allege the 40-year-old was involved in money-laundering and importing, manufacturing and trafficking illicit drugs and that he was conspiring with an offshore associate to import cocaine into Australia from Greece.
LUKE JOLLY-BISHOP
A 27-year-old high-profile Comanchero member in Victoria, was charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence, three counts of trafficking drug of dependence, and possession of proceeds of crime.
LUKE ANDREOU
An alleged associate of Vamvoukakis, the 31-year-old was arrested at his Horsley home and charged with money-laundering offences, and possessing drugs and firearms. Police conducting the searches across the five locations seized more than half a million in cash – $290,000 allegedly linked to Vamvoukakis and $230,000 allegedly linked to Andreou.
DANIEL EAHAB JAAFAR
Alleged Comanchero associate, the 40-year-old from Sydney has been charged over an alleged plot to get $700,000 worth of cocaine into Australia via the postal system.
JAMES BOUZIANIS
Alleged Comanchero associate, the 48-year-old of Allawah, is also charged over an alleged plot to get $700,000 worth of cocaine into Australia via the postal system.
MAHER AOULI
Former Comanchero member, the 40-year-old of Sydney, has been charged with allegedly attempting to import $700,000 worth of cocaine into Australia via the postal system. He is further charged over an alleged plot to import $64 million worth of cocaine into Australia via a secret compartment in a cargo ship.
YUSUF AYIK
A close relative of drug kingpin and Comanchero associate Hakan Ayik, the 20-year-old was charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of drugs.
JULIAN LEE
Bondi fitness instructor and alleged Comanchero associate, Lee 41, has been charged over an alleged plot to smuggle $64 million of cocaine into Australia. He faces charges of directing a criminal group and leading a conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of drugs.
AYHAN DOGAN
Nephew of Comanchero associate Hakan Ayik, faces drug supply and importation charges and is alleged to have been a distributor of the AN0M encrypted devices.
George Kamvissis,
The 30-year-old of suburban Niddrie in Melbourne, was charged with two counts of trafficking a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
ALLEGED ASSOCIATES
TALJA ARSLAN, 23, of Greenvale in Victoria, was charged with four counts of dealing with the proceeds of crime.
CHIHAT YILMAZ, 24, of Meadow Heights in Melbourne, charged with trafficking a drug of dependence, possession of a drug of dependence and possessing the proceeds of crime.
SONER AKKUS, 30, from Dallas in suburban Melbourne charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence.
IDENTITIES SUPPRESSED BY COURTS
An alleged senior Comanchero in Adelaide charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug, and conspiracy to commit murder.
An alleged senior Comanchero in Adelaide, charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
Alleged Comanchero associate, charged with money-laundering offences. Police allege he packed $2.7 million in cash into vacuum-packs in $50,000 under instructions alleged to have been sent via AN0M.
LONE WOLF
ELIAS ELCHAAR
Alleged national sergeant-at-arms of the Lone Wolf gang, the 49-year-old charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime, with police alleging he was involved in the movement of $8 million in drug profits.
BRIAN ANTHONY BLACKMAN
Maroubra man, 51, a former patched member of the Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle gang, charged with four offences including commercial importation of a border-controlled drug. A court has heard allegations he was embroiled in two major drug importation operations, including a conspiracy to import up to 1500 kilograms of South American cocaine to Australia.
EDWARD GEORGE “ETU’’ LAVULO
Alleged associate of the Lone Wolf, the 32-year-old from Marsden Park, is charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime and importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
JUDAH EARL LAVULO
The 30-year-old brother of Edward Lavulo and also alleged to be an associate of the Lone Wolf, was charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime.
REBELS
JASON HOWETT-ELLIOTT, 40, alleged Rebels associate pleaded guilty to trafficking in 320kg of cannabis found in a suburban Adelaideproperty in February.
ROBERT LEIGH MARSHALL, 38, alleged Rebels associate, pleaded guilty to trafficking in 320kg of cannabis found in a suburban Adelaide property in February.
BANDIDOS
BENJAMIN JOSEPH THORNTON
Former Bandido member, the 31-year-old of Brisbane, charged with drug trafficking after police alleged he smuggled 2kg of ice to Brisbane via the postal service from the US, hidden in computer hard-drives, in May. He was alleged to use the AN0M pseudonyms “battle climb” “supply by” and “was proper.”
SENAD CATIC
Former Bandido member, 34, is alleged to have set up a drug lab on North Stradbroke Island, and faces charges including producing dangerous drugs.
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