Heat on Comanchero bikies after police South Yarra raids
COMANCHERO bikies and their associates have come under intense scrutiny following raids in Melbourne by police investigating violent crimes linked to the club.
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COMANCHERO bikies and their associates have come under intense scrutiny following raids last week by police investigating violent crimes linked to the club.
The Herald Sun has been told four people linked to the Comancheros were raided on June 7, and another man, whose house was raided the following day, has been on the run as police focus on the attempted murder of gym owner Nikolaos Solomos.
Mr Solomos was shot at in his Burnside driveway on May 21 last year.
The gunman was described as caucasian, aged in his 20s to 30s, with brown wavy hair.
It is understood investigators suspect Comanchero involvement in the shooting, with police last week announcing a $100,000 reward for information that could solve the crime.
The raids followed the resumption of Mick Murray as Comancheros president after a long court-imposed ban from being in contact with members while he faced charges.
Murray pleaded guilty in March to two charges, with 13 others dropped, and was sentenced to time served and fined $10,000.
In last week’s raids, which were related to the shooting investigation, police arrested a man linked to the Comancheros at a South Yarra apartment.
Police will allege they found cocaine with an estimated street value of $308,000, along with 784g of MDMA (ecstasy) valued at $18,000.
Also seized were explosives — believed to be firecrackers — and $27,000 in cash, alleged to be proceeds of crime. Police said that they also found Comanchero windcheaters in the apartment.
The man, who was remanded in jail, has been charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of drugs.
The Comancheros are also suspected of having ordered the shooting of security industry figure Clay Auimatagi outside his Skamma gym in Narre Warren in September last year.
Former high-ranking Comanchero Robert Morando was injured in a shooting in Berwick in October.
Scrutiny also continues on the Comancheros’ alleged involvement in attacks on Kittens strip club venues and security personnel.
Mark Ahern, the alleged treasurer of the outlaw gang, has been charged with firebombing the Kittens club in Caulfield on February 16.
He was refused bail on June 9 after being deemed by a magistrate to be an unacceptable risk to the community.