Ultra-violent gangs Prisoners of War, Menace to Society join forces behind bars
A FEARED prison mob has taken youths from an emerging African street gang under its wing, with security briefings held at Barwon and Port Phillip jails in recent weeks over the links.
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A FEARED prison mob has taken youths from an emerging African street gang under its wing.
Prison intelligence officers have held security briefings for managers at Barwon and Port Phillip jails in recent weeks over the links between the ultra-violent Prisoners of War and Menace to Society.
Members of the two violent gangs have joined forces to create what some in the prison system believe is the most influential such jail grouping in recent history.
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Senior prison officials fear young MTS members will be heavily influenced by the hardened criminals of POW, led by Matthew Charles Johnson — who bludgeoned drug kingpin Carl Williams to death in Barwon.
The links have prompted major concerns about what may happen when members of MTS — which has recently made headlines for terrorising a western suburbs community and for a violent spree at a Werribee Airbnb — are released.
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“The younger African members will become indoctrinated in the hardcore methods of the POWs,” one source said. “The worry now is that members will stay connected when they are released. You’ve got a worrying mix of frontline soldiers and criminal tacticians here.”
Authorities are also concerned the “super gang” will give some less experienced inmates direction.
“Before the two gangs aligned, MTS were disorganised. Now they have structure and goals,” the source said. “They are looking to establish themselves quickly.”
“These inmates aren’t just petty thugs. They are a serious threat,” a prison insider said.
It is understood there were discussions about a wide range of security measures and additional monitoring in the confidential security briefings.
But some in Corrections believe the new measures discussed may not be enough.
“A member of the new gang, from the MTS, was walking around Barwon telling officers ‘You’re wasting your time’ and ‘There’s nothing you can do to stop us’,” one official said.
African inmates have in recent years gained a reputation for extreme violence, quickly making them an emerging force in jails, in which physical threats underpin authority.
An African group was last year involved in a brutal fight with bikies at the Metropolitan Remand Centre, in which they were said to have “acquitted themselves well”.
“They don’t solve things by mediation. They do it by violence,” a source said.
Other members were involved in a vicious attack on a bikie at Port Phillip Prison.
The Prisoners of War also remain a brutal force behind bars, though some sources say their influence has diminished in recent years.
They are suspected of involvement in witness intimidation and attacks on enemies on the outside.
Younger prisoners with no allegiances invariably have no choice but to comply with their demands.
It is the combination of extreme violence and outside influence that worries Corrections officials.
Other traditional jailhouse gangs also continue to wield considerable power.
Outlaw motorcycle gang outfits, most notably the Hells Angels, Commancheros and Bandidos, are heavily linked to the prison drug trade and are capable of exerting power well beyond prison walls.
Angels prison boss Christopher Wayne Hudson remains highly influential. His gang last year split violently from one Lebanese crime clan.
One senior member of the family has been told he will be killed when he is released.
But other Middle-Eastern organised crime families and groups are flourishing, often in collaboration with the bikies.
They are key players in controlling drug trafficking and frequently intimidate more vulnerable inmates to involve them in the trade.
There are also suggestions another new group known as Geefam is gaining strength.
The Herald Sun has been told those wanting to join must first assault a prison guard.