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Bikie hotspots: Where gangs are moving into
Bikies have changed their tactics and abandoned traditional clubhouses as they spread through northern NSW. 
Here’s how the key gangs are adapting and the new players who are emerging.
A stretch of coastline spanning from the Hunter to Tweed Heads has become a haven for outlaw motorcycle gangs and home to the majority of NSW’s bikies.
NSW Police Force Raptor Squad commander Superintendent Jason Weinstein said “feeder groups” of organised crime gangs were used to help bikie gangs increase their operations while going unnoticed.
They get young, dispensable people to do the dirty work, get caught, spend time in jail, while those who are profiting don’t come to the attention of law enforcement because they’ve outsourced.
“
SUPERINTENDENTJASON WEINSTEIN
Newcastle is still considered the arterial gateway and home base for bikies, but Supt Weinstein said gangs were spreading their tentacles across the state’s north.
Newcastle to Tweed Heads now accounts for about 60 per cent of outlaw motorcycle gang activity in NSW, with chapters popping up across the region.
Supt Weinstein said bikies had followed the population shift caused by Covid-19 as people moved to the regions over cities.The move also helped them operate where there were less police to keep an eye on them.
Growing presence
There are now 11 different known clubs operating from Newcastle to the Queensland border.These include Lone Wolves, Comancheros, Finks and Mongols, but the group that is most on Raptor’s radar is the Bandidos.
Alongside the Bandidos, the Rebels and Mongols have a known presence in northern NSW. The Lone Wolves have also gained prominence in the Tweed.
Supt Weinstein said the regions were an attractive option for bikie gangs because of the cheaper cost and the fact they could operate without as much police attention.
A potential gang war was thwarted when 23 Bandidos were prevented from entering NSW. Intelligence suggested a rivalry between the Bandidos, the Finks and the Mongols was set to erupt in June 2021.
The Gold Coast influence
The conflict started because the Bandidos had attempted to infiltrate the Gold Coast to Sydney drug route.
“The thing that drives outlaw motorcycle gangs is drug territories.” 
- Supt Weinstein
Things have been quiet in the Tweed recently but concerns remain about the Northern Region, which the Raptor Squad is expected to target with operations this year.
Newcastle quickly reclaimed its title as a hub for outlaw motorcycle gangs and the main connector between Sydney and the state’s north, with numbers increasing partly due to the Finks' expansion in the area.
Hunter hub
Bikies have more of an inland presence around the Hunter, including west into Muswellbrook and Maitland – partly due to the area’s connection to the New England Highway.
For all of northern NSW’s bikie growth, Sydney was still the main hub for activity.22 NSW outlaw motorcycle gangs have links to other states and 11 of them have international chapters.
Not so minor drug deals
What we are finding are some of our traditional outlaw motorcycle gangs are no longer outlaw motorcycle gangs – they’re more organised crime entities and businesses.
“
SUPERINTENDENTJASON WEINSTEIN
Gone are the days of clubhouses with large bars, pole dancing and stages with impressive sound systems. Club members are now meeting at sheds or Airbnb properties.
Words: Liana WalkerProducer: Bianca Mastroianni																																								

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/web-stories/free/the-coffs-coast-advocate/bikie-hotspots-where-gangs-are-moving-in-northern-nsw