Bikie war brewing: Top cop warns hundred-strong Rebels meet-up in Melbourne is the start of a new gang crisis as tensions threaten to boil over

* A war is brewing between two of Australia’s most notorious bikie gangs 
* The Rebels’ run to Melbourne over the weekend faced intense police scrutiny 
* One top cop warned their run came amid rising tensions with the Comancheros
* He described the rise of incidents between them as driven by ‘greed and power’

A hundred-strong Rebels meet-up is the start of a new crisis between two of Australia’s most notorious bikie gangs, a top cop has warned. Police formed a ring of steel around the Rebels clubhouse in Melbourne at the weekend as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of their Victoria chapter.

Armed police officers along with the Public Order Response Unit monitored the Rebels’ base throughout the weekend, located in Sunshine West 15km from Melbourne’s CBD, and forced members through rigorous vehicle and bag searches.

While the weekend event passed without police reporting any arrests, West Australian police commissioner Chris Dawson said tensions between bikie gangs were on the increase. He told Perth’s 6PR radio station on Friday: ‘We’ve got some warnings out for our officers to take particular care because these tensions are emerging.’

‘What concerns me and should concern the community is when firearms are being used out in public, as we’ve seen, and people being injured.’

Mr Dawson described the gangs as criminal operations driven by ‘greed and power’.

They’re involved in drug distribution, extortion and a whole range of matters. He added that while 12 bikie gangs in the state were under police radar, the tension between the Rebels and the Comancheros was the biggest concern.

His words of warning came after a Perth court heard earlier this month members of the two gangs had ‘bash-on-sight orders’ against each other. The rivalry between the groups in the West Australian capital came to a head last month in a drive-by shooting in the southern suburb of Calista.

WA Police suspect the bitter rivalry was also behind a spate of fire-bombings in Perth between March and September. The state’s bikie warfare had already led to the conviction of 300 bikies for crimes carrying prison sentences of more than five years.

Rebels members donned branded black and white shirts commemorating their slain fellow members at the celebration over the weekend.

One member was photographed wearing a shirt which read ‘Rest in Peace Simon Rasic, Mickey D and Matty King’ – all late members of the outlaw motorcycle gang.

Simon Rasic – who was known as ‘The King’ – was sergeant-at-arms of the Rebels.

Rasic held one of the lead positions within the Rebels for more than a decade, overseeing around 2,000 gang members from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Malta. At the time of his death from natural causes, Rasic, 43, was tipped to become the motorcycle club’s national president.

The father-of-four had been a member of the gang for 20 years.

His son Alex has kept close with members of the gang and leads a luxurious life filled with designer clothing, exotic holidays and expensive purchases such as planes as well as boats.

Michael ‘Ruthless’ Davey – also known as the Prince of Penrith – was assassinated outside of his home in Sydney’s west on March 30, 2016. Only months ago, Alex took a trip to Perth with infamous bikie Chris Rymer.

On Saturday, a series of Harley-Davidson convoys blazed up and down the highway outside their industrial unit base ahead of the Melbourne-based celebration. Bikies seen gathered at the site, located in an industrial area 15km outside of the CBD, appeared to be under strict instructions not to talk to the media.

One member of the notorious gang told Daily Mail Australia he was looking forward to a weekend away with his friends.

Those inside the Fairbairn Street base looked like they were in the mood to celebrate, with one member driving a car loaded to the roof with beer into the building in the middle of the afternoon.

‘We’re just here to have a good time and catch up with mates we haven’t seen in a while,’ he said.

Scores of gang members travelled across the country – some as far as Western Australia – for the weekend event with fellow Rebel bikies.

Australia - IT.