Sydney gang members lose safe haven as QLD cops given replica powers

Sydney’s most notorious gang members can no longer escape to Queensland to avoid strict orders placed on them by NSW Police, with the state now able to replicate the restrictions. Here’s how.

Sydney’s most notorious gang members can no longer escape to Queensland to avoid the strict orders put on them by NSW Police, with other states now mirroring the restrictions used so successfully during the gang war.

Queensland can now quickly replicate the serious crime prevention orders (SCPOs) placed on underworld figures by the NSW Supreme Court in recent years through its own court system, should any of them try to move interstate.

The first instance of Queensland doing so occurred recently when they replicated the SCPO placed on Comanchero bikie Allan Meehan, after he moved north thinking the laws would not apply outside NSW.

Police sources said the ability to mimic the SCPO had always been available to their northern partners, but it was not until Meehan moved to Queensland that it was first put in use.

Sydney’s most notorious gang members can no longer escape to Queensland to avoid the strict orders put on them by NSW Police, as bikie Allan Meehan found out recently. Picture: David Swift

“Queensland has the power to mirror our legislation, but Meehan was the first SCPO to be replicated,” a source said.

“It’s not unusual for states to engage with other states and share information, but they are the only ones with that power currently.”

Meehan walked free on bail from the MRRC Silverwater in early April. Picture: Daily Telegraph/ Monique Harmer

He had spent almost two months behind bars after being extradited from Queensland to NSW. Picture: Daily Telegraph/ Monique Harmer

“Most states know our FPOs (firearm prohibition orders) have been highly successful and it is a similar thing with the serious crime prevention orders.

“But that’s not unusual with legislation all around the world and not just in policing, it’ can be in health and education.”

Meehan was returned from Queensland to NSW in handcuffs in February after he allegedly breached the conditions of his SCPO on four separate occasions.

He spent more than two months behind bars on remand until recently being granted bail by the NSW Supreme Court.

NSW Police have taken out SCPOs against a number of underworld identities in recent years, including Meehan (right) and his fellow Comanchero bikie Tarek Zahed (left)

Documents tendered to the court as part of that bail application reveal the lifelong bikie clearly thought he did not need to comply with the conditions of the order in Queensland, namely the condition he notify police of his living arrangements at all times.

On December 30 last year investigators from the NSW Police Criminal Groups Squad and Raptor Squad went to Meehan’s home in the Southern Highlands to do an FPO check.

While there they noticed most of his belongings had been packed into boxes, leading to an exchange between an officer and Meehan about where he was moving to.

Meehan refused to answer.

A listening device secretly placed in the bikie’s car recorded a conversation where he told a friend about that conversation with the officer.

Meehan was served with a notice of application of a Serious Crime Prevention Order in July 2022.

“That’s like when they raided me last week, a lot of people … I think, they will put their rights in the bin just because they think I don’t want to upset the coppas,” the court documents detailed Meehan as saying.

“F**k ‘em brother, that’s when he (the police officer) goes: ‘Where you moving to?’ I go: ‘None of your f**king business’. He goes: ‘What?’ I go: ‘Who the f**k are you to ask that question. I don’t have to tell you where I’m going.’

“He got pissed off but f**k him brother, you gotta protect your rights.”

One of Meehan’s bail conditions was that he remain living in NSW at least until his next court appearance.

His close friend and fellow Comanchero bikie Tarek Zahed moved to Victoria last year after an SCPO was taken out against him.

Meehan and Zahed (right) are among the highest ranking Comanchero bikies in Australia.

The orders put in place in NSW do not apply in Victoria and in a statement, Victoria Police told The Daily Telegraph they used other powers to “target” individuals.

“Victoria Police does not currently have powers similar to NSW’s SCPOs. The orders are not mirrored in Victoria,” a spokeswoman said.

“Along with working with our interstate counterparts in relation to serious organised criminals, we use different tool and techniques along with Exclusion Orders and Firearm Prohibition Orders to target these people.”