The gang have held firm where others imploded through infighting or failed to hold a constant presence in Darwin.

But a police raid a fortnight ago on the Angels’ clubhouse in Girraween and the arrest of four members showed the gang remains high on the police radar.

Surrounded by six-foot high fences topped with barb wire, with security cameras positioned above the red gates, the compound is secure from all sides.

A mural clearly brands the area as Hells Angels territory. A massive satellite dish stands on top of a covered outdoor area, and two demountables stand closer to the front entrance.

The club’s instantly recognisable insignia of a skull wearing a Native American headdress is etched on a concrete wall — a clear indication it is Hells Angels turf.

NT Police have successfully squashed rival gang the Rebels, adopting a zero-tolerance policy which drove members out of town.

Picking up smaller offences like unlicensed driving and the possession of a small quantity of drugs, and prosecuting all offences, forced members to quit the gang or leave the Top End.

Drug and Organised Crime Detective Sen-Sgt Stringer said police are adopting a zero-tolerance approach to the Hells Angels. A man driving a car to Darwin Local Court to pick up gang members after their court appearance this month was pulled over and arrested for unlicensed driving.

The man was a Hells Angels nominee — one of 12 patched members and ‘prospects’ who make up the Darwin chapter. “It’s part of the crackdown on them,” Sen-Sgt Stringer said.

“They are always on our radar. We are always watching and monitoring and when the opportunity presents, we strike like we did the other day.

“They’ve been recruiting heavily in the past 18 months. They have a lot of new members.

“There’s a few old school members that have been there for years that are still there, but there are a lot of prospects that have just joined recently, so they’ve got to go through their apprenticeship — if you like — to show they are made of the right stuff to be a Hells Angels.

“There’s six or so prospects at the moment so they are obviously trying to expand there numbers.”

The beginnings of the Hells Angels’ Top End chapter come from the a Darwin based motorcycle club known as the Blonks.

Created by Darwin locals, the Blonks faced a hostile takeover from rival gang the Rebels in the 1980s.

Faced with an ultimatum, the Blonks turned to the Hells Angels for help to prevent the takeover.

They agreed — but only if the Blonks became a chapter of the notorious Angels.

Prior to the merger, the Blonks held a the yearly Darwin River Rocks music festival.

The yearly gathering, hosted on a tract of land in Darwin’s rural area, ran over a weekend and attracted thousands who rode in for the music and mischief.

The event ran until 1999, by which time police pressure was being exerted on the Blonks’ activities.

The concert attracted thousands of motorbike and music lovers, but in the late 1990s, the event was shut down and the land seized by police.

In its final year, the festival line-up boasted big name Australian acts including Mental as Anything and The Angels.

Despite the music festival displaying “mischief” rather than crime, police were aware of a sinister side to the Blonks.

In 1992, the NT News captured images of a police raid at the Girraween Rd clubhouse where a sub-machine gun and explosives were seized.

An officer from the then Drug Enforcement Agency was pictured placing a firearm into an evidence bag.

The news report said a second property on Hillier Rd, a residence of a gang member, was also raided.

Police allegedly found a .233 calibre sub-machinegun at the property.

Sawn-off shotguns, ammunition and 10 sticks of explosives, detonators and safety fuses, were also found.

Sen-Sgt Stringer said it was the strong Darwin connection which enabled the Hells Angels to survive where others hadn’t.

He said the original members of the Blonks were Darwin born and bread and recruited locally instead of attracting members from interstate.

“Before they were the Hells Angels they were the Blonks. They were around since the early 1980s. In the early 90s the Rebels tried to take them over, a hostile take over.

“They went running off to the Hells Angels for help, and the Hells Angels patched them over and they’ve been Hells Angels ever since.

“I guess why they’ve been able to exist is they are all local guys. They were a club that was already here and so the Hells Angels came in and said, ‘right you’re Hells Angels’. A lot of the guys that were Blonks, they were long standing Darwin people.

“They had community ties and supported the community. A lot of the people they recruit, rather than bringing in people from interstate, are locals. They seem to have a more stable leadership. The president of the Hells Angels has been the president for a long time.”

Sen-Sgt Stringer said over the years, the Hells Angels has cycled through dozens of members. Some have left the NT, been deported, jailed or died.

One member jailed over a hit and run was deported back to New Zealand after his visa was cancelled following his release from prison.

In the process of trying to eradicate the Angels from Darwin, Snr-Sgt Stringer said police had asked the Gunner Government for stronger laws.

“The police are seeking stronger laws to manage outlaw motor cycle gangs. We’re asking the government for the laws but we are still waiting,” he said.

In January, then Acting Police Minister Natasha Fyles said the Territory was examining tough laws implemented in Queensland and South Australia to see what could be used in the NT to legally stomp on bikies.

Chief Minister and Police Minister Michael Gunner said the laws were yet to be finalised, but the framework was currently being worked on.

The NT News understands the Queensland’s controversial association laws, which prevented three or more members of same gang congregating, won’t be introduced in the Territory. The laws would focus on restricting gun trafficking and have more stringent controls of firearms.

“We understand community concern about bikie gangs and organised crime generally,” Mr Gunner said.

“Our police force work tirelessly to protect the community from activities associated with organised crime.

“Working with police and the community, we will be strengthening laws that will impact on organised crime and limit its impact on our community. We will make announcements regarding these changes over the coming months.”

Criminal Lawyers Association president Russell Goldflam said he hoped stakeholders in the legal community would be consulted before the new laws were introduced.

“I am concerned that if the police are proposing to the government that certain laws be brought in to try and prevent organised crime, I’ve got no problem with idea of preventing organised crime, but it’s important that any laws of that nature be the subject of discussions by government with stakeholders through consultation,” he said.

Mr Goldflam said laws proposed by police were often not sent to stakeholders for consultation before passing through parliament.

“It’s been an ongoing concern over the last few years for the Criminal Lawyers Association that where as the Department of Justice has been exemplary in its procedure in consulting with stakeholders including with our association with proposed changes to criminal law.

“Those laws which affect the criminal law which originate from police have often not been introduced using that consultative process — and that’s something we’ve criticised on many occasions and it’s still a concern.”

While the number of members in the Rebels and Bandidos have not increased in recent months, the threat of organised crime remains a top concern for NT Police.