Hells Angels bikie club establishes new Melbourne chapter

Hells Angels is continuing its dominance across the nation, with the bikie club creating a new exclusive chapter in Melbourne.

The most notorious bikie club in the world has branded its new Melbourne chapter “Angel City”.

It’s understood the chapter, one of five the club runs in Victoria, has kept its numbers limited to between six and 10 members.

The gang’s worldwide rules stipulate a chapter must have a minimum of six ­members.

The Herald Sun revealed the Hells Angels had opened a city chapter earlier this year, the first since it established a foothold in Melbourne’s southeast with its Darkside chapter in 2013.

But the city chapter is the first time it has endorsed a chapter without opening a clubhouse.

One of the club’s most prominent members is Luke Moloney – a Nomads chapter president, who is now aligned with the new Angel City chapter.

Moloney is a veteran bikie with a boxing background, who has the respect of members within other gangs.

Hells Angels has created another chapter in Melbourne.

It was widely speculated earlier this year that Moloney had been promoted within the Hells Angels to become the club’s Australian boss.

But longstanding members have pointed out that there is no such position as national president.

There are 22 Hells Angels chapters nationwide.

Historically, the Melbourne chapter in Alphington was the club’s first Australian base, founded in 1975.

Since then, the Victorian “Angels” has employed an ­exclusivity mantra to its recruiting of members, keeping overall numbers lower than its main rivals.

Hells Angels is considered to be the most senior Hells Angels bikie in Australia.

There are now five chapters in Melbourne, covering Melbourne’s north, city, northeast and southeast.

The Angels’ biggest membership base is in NSW, where the club operates seven chapters across Sydney, particularly in its west.

It has a strong chapter presence in SA (four) and WA (three) and continues to expand in Queensland (two) and the Northern Territory (one).

Since 2010, other gangs such as the Mongols and Rebels have embarked on an extensive recruiting drive.

Hells Angels clubhouse in Alphington.

All gangs have members inside prison who are separated based on affiliation.

It is understood, however, there has been a period of peace between the big six clubs – the Comanchero, Mongols, Hells Angels, Rebels, Finks and Bandidos.

Insiders say traditional boundaries defining a club’s area have also become largely redundant.

Meanwhile, several Hells Angels members remain under scrutiny over the ­disappearance and suspected murder of South Australian man Kerry ­Giakoumis last year.

Giakoumis, an associate of the gang’s North Crew chapter in Adelaide, was last seen alive at the Angels’ Nomads chapter clubhouse at Thomastown in the early hours of June 10 last year.

The Nomads are regarded as a Melbourne enforcement arm of the gang.

A task force made up of Victorian and South Aus­tralian homicide and organised crime detectives is investigating what happened to Giakoumis.

One theory is that he died after an assault at the infamous Lipton Drive stronghold.