Police swoop on bikie feeder gang Southside Soldiers and seize drugs, stolen goods, weapons and cash

ONE of the Gold Coast’s most violent street gangs has been shut down by police in a dawn blitz across the southern end of the city.

ONE of the Gold Coast’s most violent street gangs has been shut down by police in a dawn blitz across the southern end of the city.

Police from the Rapid Action Patrol group swooped on bikie feeder gang the Southside Soldiers yesterday as part of a massive crackdown in Palm Beach and Currumbin.

Officers seized almost $70,000; drugs including cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines and steroids; stolen property and jewellery along with weapons including knuckledusters, flick knives, Tasers, extendible batons and firearms.

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An elaborate hydroponic cannabis crop believed to be linked to the gang was also shut down just as it was being harvested at Advancetown with plants more than 1.8 metres tall and weighing more than 50kg.

Nine people have been arrested and face 35 charges.

Drugs, firearms and cash from police raids on the Gold Coast

Violence across the southern end of the Coast has exploded as the Southside Soldiers waged a bitter turf war with rival gang the Gold Coast Brotherhood.

Members of the public were caught in the crosshairs as the violence spilt into pubs and clubs.

Both gangs are known bikie feeder clubs and have extensive links to the Lone Wolf and Bandidos criminal bikie gangs and have been ordered to “bash on sight” any rival gang members.

The raids also allegedly netted a senior member of the Hells Angels who was caught with a mobile drug lab.

Superintendent Jim Keogh: “This will not only severely disrupt the criminal activities of the gang but most importantly send a clear message...’

Police intercepted the vehicle just after 8am on Guineas Creek Rd and found precursor chemicals and a portable methamphetamine lab in the boot of his car.

An exclusion zone was established around the car with fears of a potential explosion before forensic officers were called from Brisbane to safely dispose of the chemicals.

Yesterday’s raids come after Soldiers’ alleged leader, Ashley Coughlan, was arrested over a series of savage assaults that left a 50-year-old man permanently disabled.

Police will allege gang members have been part of a lucrative drug ring, trafficking millions of dollars in cannabis and other drugs for more than a decade.

The gangs have even used their family members to ply their trade, one member who still lives at home allegedly hiding stacks of cash in the wall of his parents’ bedroom.

Another is accused of turning a family garage into a fortress, with a peephole in the door to monitor visitors.

RAP Commander Superintendent Jim Keogh said both gangs had close associations with criminal motorcycle gangs, particularly the Lone Wolf.

“Southside Soldiers shared common ground with Gold Coast Brotherhood whose illegal conduct has been interrupted by a number of raids by RAP which saw some of the members incarcerated.

“In the absence of the Brotherhood the Southside Soldiers attempted to establish firm control of what had previously been common ground, particularly in relation to drug dealing in licensed venues.

“This will not only severely disrupt the criminal activities of the gang but most importantly send a clear message that if they are engaging in such activity we will be back.

“It has been a concerted effort to bring down these feeder gangs.”

Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey said the raids sent a clear message to criminals.

“If they want to bring violence and anti-social behaviour into our streets and licensed premises they will be caught and prosecuted,” Ms Stuckey said.

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