Apart from their other duties, Australian Border Force (ABF) officers stationed at Australia’s international airports spend quite a bit of time on the lookout for members of motorcycle gangs – with one airport having recently halted an influx from Germany, Norway and Spain over a three-day period.
ABF officers apprehended two German members of the Gypsy Jokers, which is listed as an outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG). They also stopped a member of the same gang’s Norway chapter and two Spanish gang associates. All were refused entry into Australia.
Not long ago, ABF officers in Melbourne detained two American men who arrived at the airport on a flight from Los Angeles. During a subsequent examination, the ABF said it established links between the men and the Mongols motorcycle gang. See: Suspect Mongols in MEL airport deportation drama
This time, the point of entry was Perth. The German Gypsy Jokers, males aged 33 and 61, arrived in Perth on a flight from Hong Kong on 15 April 2019. The Spanish men, aged 43 and 44, arrived on the same day on a flight from Dubai. The 34-year-old Norwegian arrived on a flight from Singapore two days later.
All five men were questioned. The ABF says it established the men had travelled to Perth to attend an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Gypsy Jokers OMCG. (Strictly speaking, as motorcycle is one word rather than two, the acronym should be OMG – but the ABF uses OMCG instead, perhaps to distinguish it from the other use of OMG.
The men were all holding eVisitor 651 visas which were cancelled under s116(1)(e)(i) of the Migration Act on the basis that they presented a risk to the health, safety or good order of the Australian community, or a segment of the community.
ABF photo shows officer searching belongings of a suspect traveller from Germany
ABF Regional Commander for Western Australia, Rod O’Donnell, said the ABF maintained a strong focus on working with its law enforcement partners in disrupting the activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs in the ongoing fight to protect the Australian community.
“These gangs pose a significant threat to our community and are known to be involved in serious criminal activity including drug trafficking and violent crime,” Commander O’Donnell said.
“Any non-citizen involved with a criminal organisation, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, can expect to have their Australian visa cancelled on arrival and be removed from the country.”
The men were held in the Perth Immigration Detention Centre and were subsequently deported.
Written by Peter Needham
.jpg){kind=tracking}