Violent new bikie gang Satudarah muscles into Sydney from the Netherlands
THEIR name means One Blood, they’re more violent than Hells Angels and recruit on Facebook... little wonder NSW police have moved to shut down brutal Dutch bikie gang Satudarah in Sydney.
Satudarah means ‘One Blood’ and originated in Indonesia
It was formally founded in the Netherlands in 1990
Gang has 44 chapters with 2000 members in 19 countries
Established in Australia last year in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide
ONE of Europe’s most violent bikie gangs has been blocked from establishing a toehold in Australia, at least for now.
NSW Police yesterday revealed that a brutal Dutch gang called Satudarah had last year created a Sydney chapter, complete with a clubhouse and official gang colours.
The gang, whose name means “one blood”, is considered more violent than its arch rivals, the Hells Angels in the Netherlands, where it was founded by Indonesian immigrants in 1990.
Since then the gang has grown rapidly and now boats more than 2000 members in 19 countries.
It has also opened chapters in Brisbane, Adelaide and northern NSW.
The head of the NSW Police Gangs Squad, Detective Superintendent Debbie Wallace, said she was confident police raids on the gang’s Bankstown clubhouse had shut down the Sydney operation before it was able to establish itself as a criminal force.
“They are a classic ‘virtual bikie gang’ in many ways,” she said.
“The gang used social media for its recruitment and we believe they used it to communicate with the head office of Satudarah in the Netherlands which sanctioned them setting up here,’’ she said.
Superintendent Wallace said NSW Police were in regular contact with their European counterparts regarding outlaw bikie gangs, and they had received intelligence last year warning them about the move into Australia by Satudarah.
Strike Force Raptor, an elite squad set up to target and disrupt bikie activity, began a covert investigation into the fledging criminal group and discovered a clubhouse had been established at a residential address in Chapel St in south Bankstown.
They also had started wearing the “colours’’ of the gang.
“Those involved are fairly young despite two of those involved having extensive criminal records,” Superintendent Wallace said.
“It was important to shut them down quickly before they attracted any more members, especially those kicked out of established clubs.’’
The clubhouse in Bankstown was raided on November 5 and police say they found drugs and firearms components. Police confiscated the gang’s colours and shut down the premises.
Then on Wednesday last week four members of Satudarah, including the alleged chapter president, were arrested at Parramatta police station. One man, aged 31, was charged with consorting with a convicted offender, having previously been warned against doing so. He was given bail and is due to appear at Parramatta Local Court on February 11.
The self-proclaimed chapter boss was charged with publishing misleading material to obtain property. He is due to appear at Parramatta Local Court, also on February 11.
The man, aged 30, was already facing charges over allegedly using a knife to threaten and assault a man in Menai last November.
A 29-year-old man was issued a court attendance notice for hindering police. He is due to appear at Bankstown Local Court on January 27.
A 22-year-old man was arrested at Ryde Police Station last Tuesday charged with possessing and supplying a prohibited drug. He has been bailed and is due to appear at Bankstown Local Court, also on January 27.