The sneakiest raids hit Outlaw Biker Clubs

Police raids are designed to catch suspects by surprise, otherwise their targets might run. A raid starts with a loud warning that cops are coming in no matter what. But other times they’re muh sneakier — using stealth over muscle — slipping in silently. It’s hard to say which is more terrifying.

The Mob Reporter here with news of more crackdowns on outlaw bikers down under — or bikies as they call them — and why an old rivalry between two of the country’s largest clubs, the Bandidos MC and the Comanchero MC, still fuels sweeping displays of police power.

The raids targeting the Bandidos took place far from the city centers and suburbs of Australia’s major cities, which are the epicentres for much of the country’s organized crime. This probe targeted the Bandido’s Mid State chapter. Two homes were searched in Leeton, on June 23, 2022. Police said a detached shed behind one of the houses was being used as a Bandido’s clubhouse.

A few days earlier, an alleged associate of one of the Bandido’s outlaw biker rivals, was charged. About 800 miles northeast, on the coast, in Brisbane. It was a small-time bust, but the body cam footage seen here is interesting. It started with police monitoring activities of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club that led to a traffic stop. This was on June 7. After further investigation, members of the Queensland Police pulled off what looks like a no-knock search. No smashed door here — the cops clearly have a key to the apartment. This was an hour’s drive down the coast, in Surfers Paradise.

Some busts make a bigger splash than others. I’ll leave it to you to decide how much damage these raids caused and whether they were justified.