POLICE named a member of an Albion Park outlaw motorcycle gang as a paedophile, and linked others to assaults and standover behaviour, in a bid to deter visitors to the club’s “family open day”.
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More than 30 police raided the Fourth Reich’s Custom Bike and Tattoo Show on Saturday in a show of force led by gangs squad, Strike Force Raptor.
The action has been widely condemned by visitors who claim they were harassed and fined for petty vehicle defects or traffic offences.
Lake Illawarra Area Commander Wayne Starling told the Mercury he stood by the police action.
“Recently police have conducted a number of operations on outlaw motorcycle gangs; I make no apology for those operations,” he said. “Police have a responsibility to protect the public – at times, from themselves.”
“You have outlaw motorcycle gangs doing various things for charity. Obviously they want to get positive publicity and they want the community to think they’re good people. They’re far from it.”
The open day is a 22-year-old tradition billed as a fundraiser for the region’s aerial patrol.
Fourth Reich Motorcycle Club members wear “one percenter” patches attesting to their status as an outlaw motorcycle gang. The patches reference an American Motorcycle Association statement defending the 99 per cent of motorcycle riders it said were normal, law-abiding citizens.
Patches bearing the number “13” were also on show, Saturday. They identify the wearer as a marijuana or methylamphetamine smoker or dealer (M is the 13th letter of the alphabet).
Police seized 21.5 grams of marijuana during Saturday’s raid. They issued 12 consorting warnings and charged two Fourth Reich members and one member of the Gypsy Jokers with assaulting, hindering or resisting police.
Police also issued 64 traffic infringements and 12 vehicle defect notices, many to non-club members.
While issuing a notice to Albion Park man Paul Mines, strike force police alleged that a man within the club was a convicted paedophile and told Mr Mines: “go ask the Fourth Reich about [the man] … and then you may have an understanding of why we’re doing this”.
“You’re giving money to the club. You might as well shake [the man’s] hand – just go up to him and give him 50 bucks … they gave him his 30-year patch not long ago.”
The man is due to appear in court next month on a drug charge and fresh allegations relating to the indecent assault of a 12-year-old girl. The Mercury has opted not to name him, for legal reasons.
Strike force officers also told Mr Mines: “do you know why we’re targeting this club? … They’re [guilty of] sexual assault, assaults, and standing over people”.