Catch us live on BlogTalkRadio every



Tuesday & Thursday at 6pm P.S.T.




Friday, January 13, 2012

AUSTRALIA - Investigation continues into Perth torture case


OFF THE WIRE
Police remain hopeful that a 43-year-old Perth man, who remains in a coma in Royal Perth Hospital after allegedly being tortured for several hours over a drug debt, will wake up.
Two Sydney men have arrived in Perth after being extradited under heavy police guard to face grievous bodily harm and kidnapping charges. A further two men are on their way.
Joggers found Gary Visanich unconscious and slumped near rubbish bins suffering numerous serious injuries, including cuts and burns, at Centenary Park in Wilson on the morning of November 23 last year.
The accused men, who have been linked to the Rebels and Lone Wolf motorcycle clubs in New South Wales, were allegedly hired muscle sent from an eastern states organised crime syndicate to beat up Mr Visanich over a drug debt, police claim.
Mr Visanich is also understood to have a loose association with the Rebels motorcycle club, listing it among his interests of Facebook together with the Outlaw motorcycle club.
Organised crime's Acting Detective Inspector Jeff Christmass today said that his investigators had evidence that put all four men at the scene of the crime and directly committing the offence.
"We believe and we have evidence to suggest that Mr Visanich was the victim of an assault because of a debt incurred with an organised crime syndicate in New South Wales and that these four men travelled to Western Australia to commit this assault. It was a planned assault," Detective Christmass said.
He said it was a significant amount of money, which was linked to the manufacture of amphetamines.
It is understood Mr Visanich may have tried to escape to Perth after a falling out with the syndicate, whose operation has been linked to meth oil.
"Mr Visanich remains in the intensive care unit of Royal Perth Hospital where he is being treated for his injuries and we have not had an opportunity to speak to him at this stage," he said.
"As of this morning Mr Visanich was making progress but we do not know the full extent of his injuries. Obviously he's getting the best medical attention available here in Perth and at the first opportunity we will speak to him."
A relative of Mr Visanich had earlier told WAtoday.com.au that she was pleased with the arrests and "OK with how things were going at the moment", however she refused to comment about Mr Visanich's links to bikie gangs and his progress in hospital.
Detective Christmass also refused to be drawn on whether Mr Visanich had acted as a drug dealer for any particular group.
"I cannot comment or go into any further details in relation to Mr Visanich's past or what connection he has with these particular gentleman," he said.
"Whether he owes money or not is of no great concern to WA police. The fact is that these gentlemen have come over from the eastern states to commit this crime and he has ended up in a very serious condition, in fact critical condition, in hospital and that's all that matters."
He said the growing trend for organised crime to be transient across Australia meant that different police jurisdictions were working in greater collaboration with one another.
"Our message to everyone is it doesn't matter where you come from in Australia if you intend to travel to Perth in Western Australia, it doesn't matter where you go, we will use all our available resources to hunt you down and bring you to justice and that's what's happened in this case," he said.
The men are to be held in custody to face the Perth Magistrates Court on January 19.
"This matter is still subject to an operation that's ongoing in the eastern states, including Sydney, and there's a lot more work to be done from the other side of the country in relation to these gentlemen."
He had earlier confirmed that police would not be alleging that it was a bikie war or anything to do with rivalries among gangs.
He said the men had been taken into custody without incident.
WA detectives will allege that Mr Visanich had been assaulted at another location before being dumped in the park, south of Perth.
The men were arrested in Sydney after a seven-week covert operation was launched by WA's serious and organised crime division in November.
Organised crime detectives together with Kensington detectives and gang crime worked with their counterparts in New South Wales, where Mr Visanich was originally from, to track down those they thought responsible.
Dawn raids were carried out earlier this week by officers from Sydney's Strike Force Raptor, riot and gangs squads at homes in Fairfield East, Londonderry and Bidwill.
Three men were arrested and a fourth man, a 30-year-old Woodcroft resident, was later arrested at Balmain.
The 36-year-old Villawood man, 39-year-old Londonderry man, 26-year-old Bidwill and Woodcroft man briefly faced the Parramatta Magistrates Court before being extradited to WA
http://www.smh.com.au/wa-news/investigation-continues-into-perth-torture-case-20120112-1px2i.html