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BY KIERAN ROONEY AND MARK BUTTLER
Why interstate bikies are moving to Victoria
TRUE CRIME
in partnership with
Interstate bikies are streaming into Victoria and it’s feared more criminals will soon set up shop unless rules are strengthened and anti-association laws are enforced.
This is why the state has become an attractive location for outlaw gang members.
Anti-association laws have not been used once in the past six years while bikie numbers have soared, and the state is being petitioned by authorities to tighten its less restrictive laws.
Comanchero enforcer Tarek Zahed this year moved to Melbourne to escape tough laws and the control of NSW Police.
Former Queensland Finks Shane Bowden and Greg Keating have also fled warmer climates to Victoria. In total, bikie numbers have risen from 1200 in 2013 to 2112 last year.
A 2019 review found Victoria’s laws were broken and it can now be revealed that a new report into how to fix the problem has been completed and handed to the government.
One investigator said the Echo task force, which focuses on bikies as part of its work, had been a major success but was impeded by not having the support of laws in place in other states.
A problem is that anti-association laws conflict with Victoria’s human rights charter, requiring the government to prepare an “incompatibility statement” if it wants to introduce tougher rules.
Firearms prohibition orders (FPO), which also involve an element of infringing on human rights, have been hailed as a game-changer in the fight against criminal networks.
They allow those who are hit with an FPO to have their homes or vehicles searched for weapons at any time. Penalties of up to 10 years in jail apply for breaches.
Queensland University of Technology Associate Professor Mark Lauchs, who specialises in motorcycle gangs, said Victoria’s laws appeared to be unworkable for authorities.
QUT Associate Professor Mark Lauchs
“”
It is the place to go (Victoria). When laws were changed, all the hardcore bikies left Queensland and went to Melbourne.
PRODUCER: ANDREW PIVA
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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/web-stories/free/the-australian/why-interstate-bikies-are-moving-to-victoria-2