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All you need to know about bikie gangs in Victoria
Words: Anthony Dowsley | Producer: Andrew Piva
Footage courtesy Channel Seven
The recent shooting of former Mongol Sam Abdulrahim has thrust outlaw motorcycle clubs into the spotlight again.
Here is a closer look at the six major bikie gangs that have a presence in Victoria and how they forged their path to notoriety.
Comanchero
Patch:
A condor with a red symbol behind it that depicts an old western wagon wheel.
Established:
Sydney, 1966.
Motto:
"Always Comanchero, Comanchero Always".
Membership:
Approximately 400-500.
Local turf:
No longer uses clubhouses but has a presence in Victoria.
The Comanchero has been the most aggressive club in Australia for at least a decade. Its members number no more than 500 nationwide, but the gang has spread internationally since 2010.
Under former national president Mick Murray, the gang shook up the security industry, particularly in Victoria. It has been involved in multiple drive-by shootings of security guards.
Mongols
Patch:
A Harley Davidson motorcycle being ridden by a member of Ghengis Khan’s Mongol Empire.
Established:
Montebello, California, 1969.
Motto:
"Respect Few, Fear None".
Membership:
Unknown but more than 100 in Victoria.
Local turf:
Melbourne, Ferntree Gully, Coburg, Echuca.
The Mongols arrived in Australia in 2011-2012 and immediately made their presence felt. Instead of recruiting members, they conducted a national "patch-over" of the Finks the following year.
The Mongols are a heavyweight international gang that began as a club for returned Hispanic veteran soldiers rejected by the Hells Angels because of their race.
Hells Angels
Patch:
"Death Head".
Established:
Fontana, California, 1948.
Motto:
"Angels Forever, Forever Angels".
Membership:
Approximately 250 members.
Local turf:
Alphington, Campbellfield, Thomastown (Nomads) and Melbourne’s south east (Darkside).
The Hells Angels are the world’s most recognisable outlaw bikie gang and arrived in Melbourne in 1975. Their impact on Australia’s drug culture cannot be overstated.
In 1980, Melbourne chapter founding member Peter Hill flew to America to visit the mother chapter in Oakland and returned with the recipe for manufacturing amphetamines.
Bandidos
Patch:
"Fat Mexican" wearing a sombrero and carrying a gun and sword.
Established:
San Antonio, Texas, 1966.
Motto:
"Bandidos Forever, Forever Bandidos", "Expect No Mercy".
Membership:
More than 350 Australia-wide.
Local turf:
Melbourne, Geelong, central Victoria.
The Bandidos were established in 1966. Its Australian arm was formed in Sydney by an ex-member of the Comanchero MC, Anthony "Snodgrass" Spencer, in 1983, after a trip to the US.
Tensions between the “Comos’’ and Bandidos led to the Milperra Massacre on September 2, 1984. Seven people were killed, including a 14-year-old bystander.
Rebels
Patch:
Confederate flag with a skull wearing a cap.
Established:
Brisbane, 1969.
Motto:
“Rebels Forever, Forever Rebels’’.
Membership:
More than 1000 Australia-wide.
Local turf:
Melbourne, Geelong, Mildura, Gippsland, Whittlesea.
The Rebels are the largest gang, by numbers, of the "Big Six" clubs. Formed in 1969 in Brisbane, the Rebels grew into an international gang under Alex Vella, who became leader in 1973.
The Rebels have been branded a "high threat to the Australian community" by the federal government. Business interests include construction, transport and tattoo parlours.
Finks
Patch:
'Bung'.
Established:
Adelaide,1969.
Motto:
"Attitude and Violence".
Membership:
More than 100 Australia-wide.
Local turf:
Cranbourne.
The 2006 Ballroom Blitz made national headlines as Finks and Hells Angels attacked each other at a kickboxing tournament on the Gold Coast.
In 2012, the Finks MC were the first club declared a criminal organisation in Australia. They nearly collapsed in 2015 during a police crackdown on Melbourne members that resulted in 17 arrests.
Swipe up to learn more about Victoria's bikie gangs.
																																								

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