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Hells Angels crackdown: police raid 60 properties, seizing guns and drugs Hells Angels raids: police fail to find high-powered weapons
(about 1 hour later)
Victorian police have raided every Hells Angels property in the state in a bid to curb bikie-related crime. Victorian police have raided every Hells Angels property in the state in a bid to curb bikie-related crime, but failed to retrieve the high-powered weapons they had targeted.
More than 700 police officers were involved in the operation on Thursday morning, which involved about 60 properties, including clubhouses and private homes. Guns, ammunition, drugs and cash were seized and 13 people arrested when more than 700 police, including federal and customs officers, swooped on Thursday morning.
In a highly visible raid on the Hells Angels headquarters in Fairfield, police tore down fencing and signage of the club. Victoria Police chief commissioner Ken Lay said he was concerned at not recovering AK-47s and carbine assault rifeles, which were used in a number of recent drive-by shootings by Hells Angels members at rival clubhouses in Hallam, Dandenong and Clayton South.
Police seized guns, ammunition, drugs and cash. The target was to find "high-powered, military-style" weapons, Steve Fontana, acting deputy commissioner for Victoria police, said. "We haven't recovered those firearms so we will continue our operation, we will continue our work until we get those guns," he said.
"This is a high risk operation for us," he said. "We're looking for firearms, we're looking for high-powered military-style weapons and we don't know where they're being stored. "It is totally unacceptable that criminals have access to these firearms and we'll continue to push and push very hard until we have those firearms in our possession."
"We've located some firearms to date, we've located a large quantity of ammunition." In a highly visible raid on the Hells Angels headquarters in Fairfield, police tore down fencing and club signs.
Fontana said the operation was in response to tensions between bikie gangs, labelling the Hells Angels as "aggressors" in recent conflicts. Acting deputy commissioner Steve Fontana said police had met no resistance from club members in the "high-risk operation".
"We've been working on this for a while, we're extremely concerned about these weapons, we're extremely concerned about the intel we've got about the tensions and the intentions of these clubs and so we thought it necessary to make a pretty strong stance here," he said.
Fontana said the operation was in response to tensions between bikie gangs, labelling the Hells Angels the "aggressors" in recent conflicts.
"I want to send this out as a strong warning to other outlaw motorcycle gangs – if you're going to get involved in these violent, firearms-related incidents in public places we are going to come down strong," he said."I want to send this out as a strong warning to other outlaw motorcycle gangs – if you're going to get involved in these violent, firearms-related incidents in public places we are going to come down strong," he said.
It is understood that most of the raids were conducted in the suburbs of Melbourne, including St Albans, Berwick and Knox.It is understood that most of the raids were conducted in the suburbs of Melbourne, including St Albans, Berwick and Knox.
Victoria's police commissioner, Ken Lay, told radio 3AW that some firearms, including an AK-47, were yet to be seized by police.
"I'm astounded at some of the things I've heard today," Lay said.
Lay said there would be "a lot of action" by police in response to laws passed in Victoria this week which allow officers to strip fortifications and security cameras from bikie clubhouses.Lay said there would be "a lot of action" by police in response to laws passed in Victoria this week which allow officers to strip fortifications and security cameras from bikie clubhouses.
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