Police charge more than 12 Comancheros in OMCG crackdown

More than a dozen Comanchero bikies have been rounded up and charged with scores of alleged crimes, as police ramp up the pressure on outlaw motor cycle gangs.

More than a dozen Comanchero bikies have been rounded up and charged with scores of alleged crimes in the past few months as NSW Police ramp up the pressure on outlaw motor cycle gangs.

Leader-in-exile Mark ­Buddle and other senior figures are trying to keep a low profile after it was revealed their main form of secret communication, encrypted AN0M phones, were being used by the FBI and Australia Federal police to spy on them.

“We are constantly working with other agencies to gather intelligence and evidence which leads to the ­arrests of bikie members ­involved in criminal activity,’’ Superintendent Jason Weinstein, head of the Raptor squad, said.

“Anyone from a club president, a sergeant of arms or a nominee can expect to be ­targeted by Raptor and other police squads anywhere in the state.

“Stopping and arresting ­bikies for driving without a ­licence sends a message that we are watching them and it also just disrupts them doing business.”

He said while the Comanchero gang was usually very covert in its operation, in the lead-up to Sydney’s lockdown members were becoming more visible in the Barangaroo precinct.

A number of high-profile arrests, ­including that of Sydney boss Tarek Zahed, followed.

Comancheros associates (from left): Tarek Zahed, Hakan Ayik, Bilal Chaker and Mark Buddle.

“While there have been a number of Comanchero arr­ested lately, we also have operations which have targeted other groups such as the Finks and the Bandidos,’’ Supt Weinstein said.

There had been reports of these groups growing in numbers in coastal towns, and also increasingly wearing their “colours” in public.

“We work in regional commands and frequently conduct operations in country areas where there is any bikie activity,’’ Supt Weinstein said.

Buddle still controls the club, and until recently was living in Dubai. He is now ­believed to be moving from country to country, with south Lebanon his current base.

A senior law enforcement officer said many of the ­Comanchero senior members used the AN0M encrypted phones, including Buddle.

“There is still a lot of information and intelligence being gleaned from millions of ­pieces of information which was captured by the FBI and federal Police,’’ he said.

“A lot of senior bikies and their associates are very nervous about what information has been gotten by the Feds and passed on to NSW police.”

Underworld sources said several high-ranking bikies with dual citizenship were considering trying to go overseas, particularly those with Lebanese and Turkish backgrounds.