OFF THE WIRE
THE jukebox was blaring at the Country Life Hotel in Kin Kin last night but the locals stayed home thanks to a heavy police presence.The 98-year-old bush pub was under intense police surveillance after the Gypsy Jokers motorbike club set up camp behind it for the night.
Publican Robert Kidd said the visit had been bad for business.
"It hasn't been good for us at all. Most of the locals haven't come down,'' he said.
"We're inundated with bikes but that's about it. Everybody's afraid to get on the road because they know the coppers are here.
"We're down on takings. Even the bikies can only drink so much.''
Police crawling the quaint town outnumbered the motorcycle club members who spent yesterday exploring the region, riding 30 minutes to Noosa and stopping for coffee in picturesque Pomona, before heading back to the pub where they lined the bar last night.
"The bikies are scaring a few off but they've been very good. We have a pig on a spit every Sunday and they actually scoffed all the food down by 1pm,'' Mr Kidd said.
One club member, who did not want to be named, denied the Gypsy Jokers were on a recruitment drive.
"We're just bikies, we're just riding around having a good time,'' he said.
"We're on holidays from Western Australia ... don't read into it. We're used to being followed by police ... it's just a political stunt.''
The bikies would not elaborate on their plans other than to say they were headed north.
The Courier-Mail understands they intend to visit Hervey Bay in coming days, which has sparked concerns due to a Rebels motorcycle gxxg clubhouse in the area.
Meanwhile more than 100 police officers were stationed in the area and a heavily manned random drug-testing unit was set up in Pomona.
Police from the State Crime Operations Command, the Public Safety Response Team and regional officers spent yesterday patrolling the 14km stretch between Pomona and Kin Kin in marked and unmarked police cars, 4WDs and on motorbikes.
One Gypsy Joker motorbike club member was issued with a 24-hour driving suspension after a positive drug test. A police spokeswoman said there had been no traffic incidents.
VIDEO: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/police-tail-gypsy-jokers-on-pub-run/story-e6freoof-1226244899293