Operation Ironside: Comanchero associate Tevita Ofahengaue charged with trafficking meth

A Comanchero associate caught up in the AN0M sting who joked about being “trigger-happy” and wanting to play with guns had made a bid for freedom.

A Hell’s Angel “prospect” linked to high-ranking Comanchero bikies was a key cog in trafficking meth for a criminal drug syndicate, a court was told.

Tevita Ofahengaue, 21, fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after he was charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of meth.

Ofahengaue was nabbed as part of Operation Ironside — a worldwide police sting which brought down a billion-dollar criminal network via fake FBI encrypted phone app ‘AN0M’.

Ofahengaue, from St Albans, was clocked by covert police at the Hell’s Angels ‘Nomads’ chapter clubhouse in Thomastown wearing club colours earlier this year.

The court heard Ofahengaue was a “taking a break” from the gang but police alleged he was an “active member” of the feared bikie outfit.

Victoria Police anti-bikie detectives from Echo Taskforce also alleged Ofahengaue is a Comanchero associate linked to high-ranking members including Victorian Sgt-at-Arms Christian Taumoefolau.

The court was told Ofahengaue’s alleged offending was “taken at the direction” of Taumoefolau.

Police alleged Ofahengaue trafficked meth at various locations throughout Victoria as part of a large-scale criminal syndicate which included high ranking Comanchero members.

Comanchero Victorian Sgt-at-Arms Christian Taumoefolau.

It’s also alleged Ofahengaue collected cash for Taumoefolau and was closely associated with exiled bikie Hasan Topal and Comanchero’ Luke Jolly-Bishop, Joshua Brennan and George Afeaki.

Taumoefolau, Jolly-Bishop, Brennan and Afeaki were all arrested through Operation Ironside.

Ofahengaue was back in court applying for bail.

The court heard Ofahengaue joked that he was “trigger happy” and said he “hated looking at tools” without wanting to “do something with them”.

The court heard “tools” was believed to mean guns which belonged to Taumoefolau.

It was alleged Taumoefolau tasked Ofahengaue to shoot Comanchero associate Nicholas Angelopoulos over a drug debt.

Ofahengaue received $10,000 for the task, the court was told.

The court heard Ofahengaue asked to be housed with other Comanchero bikies — including his cousin who is on remand for the alleged murder of Mitat Rasimi — while in custody.

Ofahengaue, who handed himself into police on June 8 this year, was on bail at the time after he was nabbed allegedly trafficking cocaine.

Echo Taskforce detectives raided Ofahengaue’s former Sunshine North home and allegedly seized powder, scales, a cash counter, deal bags and an encrypted AN0M phone on April 30 this year.

Police also allegedly seized Hell’s Angel patches and Comanchero clothing.

Magistrate Bernard FitzGerald will determine Ofahengaue’s bail application on July 9.

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