Comanchero outlaw bikie gang tear through Melbourne on annual run

Members of the Comanchero outlaw bikie gang have delivered a show of defiance outside a Melbourne prison. See the footage.

The Comanchero outlaw bikie gang has converged outside a maximum security jail to send a message over the wall to their comrades remanded over the ANOM sting.

About 60 bikies on the club’s national run – including members from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland – rode in convoy behind Comanchero president Mick Murray and national Sgt-at-Arms Tarek Zahed inside the Port Phillip Prison precinct before stopping and revving their Harley Davidsons in an ostentatious display of defiance.

The display, in front of police and prison guards keeping watch, was to send a message to their Comanchero comrades who are inmates inside the private prison, particularly those caught up in the ANOM sting, they remain unified.

Several police cars arrived to keep watch over the Comanchero and support crew who beeped horns to create as much noise as possible, including some crew in a Rolls Royce.

Comanchero Motorcycle Club President Mick Murray was at the head of the run. Picture: Ian Currie.

Victoria Police have closely monitored the run. Picture: Ian Currie.

They spent about three minutes on the grounds. Among those on the ‘’run’’ was Allan Meehan, who is now the Comanchero Commander of the Sydney Chapter and is effectively the club’s NSW boss.

The gang began its national run about midday from outside Murray’s Nitro Gym in Hallam.

A police roadblock scrutinised the bikies before they set off towards Truganina.

The convoy roared its way through Melbourne’s east and over the West Gate Bridge before descending on the private prison, which is run by G4S, at 1pm Saturday. Once they arrived outside the prison on Dohertys Rd, situated 22km from the CBD in Truganina, they rode directly onto the grounds and circled outside the entrance making as much noise as they could before stopping.

Then the gang revved their engines in unison to those Comanchero inmates inside.

The Herald Sun understands jailed ‘’Como’’ members incarcerated inside the private prison are locked down within a specific wing of the facility.

The noise created by the gang could be heard by all inmates inside the jail.

Other jailed “Como” members are known to be at Fulham Prison near Sale. Among the key Comanchero leaders inside Port Phillip Prison charged and remanded over the joint AFP-FBI covert ANOM operation in 2021 is Victorian Sgt-at-Arms Christian Taumoefolau.

After leaving the prison precinct, the “Comos”’, backed by support cars, returned to Hallam where the gang will party at its new clubhouse. The outlaw club has not operated an official clubhouse for more than a year after numerous raids by Victoria Police’s anti-bikie Echo taskforce forced its shutdown.

The ANOM sting, which sparked Operation Ironside, has led to 340 alleged organised criminals being charged with more than 1000 offences.

In Victoria, 58 alleged offenders have been charged with 174 offences.

Police seized 38 weapons along with 1.1 tonnes of illicit drugs during raids last year.

The three-year covert operation targeted organised crime gangs, including the Comanchero, through an encrypted communications device, named ANOM.

Bikies and other crime figures used the communication platform to traffic illicit drugs and weapons to Australia as well as order local executions.

Those using the encrypted platform were unaware the FBI secretly controlled AN0M, which was distributed and used only by transnational serious organised crime.

The AFP’s technical expertise enabled law enforcement to obtain and read millions of encrypted messages in real time. 

Outlaw motorcycle gangs, most notably the Comanchero, Italian Mafia and criminals with links to Asian triads were key targets of Operation Ironside.

POLICE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON BIKIES

The Comanchero will be closely watched by police as they travel to Truganina and back.

National President Mick Murray is expected to lead the run, which last year attracted hundreds of bikies.

“Echo Taskforce detectives, along with a number of specialist and local police from Southern Region will be in the relevant areas over the weekend,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

The Comanchero run was held on Saturday. Picture: Ian Currie.

The run departed from Hallam. Picture: Ian Currie.

“They will closely monitor the run and take swift action in the event any OMCG members involved in the event commit criminal, road safety or public order offences.”

The ride is expected to start about 12pm at Nitro Gym, a business linked to Murray.

The Comanchero closed their Hallam clubhouse in recent times in a bid to evade police attention.

Murray is expected to face court next month on charges related to a long-running tax fraud operation.

The operation, which centres on allegations of asset concealment, also ensnared Murray’s lawyer John Voitin and ex-lover Debbie Pitman.