OFF THE WIRE
Police say a bikie turf war is behind recent shootings ( - AAP)
Those in law enforcement seem to agree, bikie gangs are responsible for the spate of shootings in Sydney this week, with police saying a conflict has been brewing for some time...Sydney saw five shootings in five hours yesterday, and police are laying the blame on a conflict between the Hells Angels and the Nomads.
Veteran journalist and co-author of Above the Law, Ross Coulthart says it's a familiar story."It's all about the distribution of methamphetamines (speed) along the east coast of Australia. There's also gun running, standover, extortion."
Not to mention the money. Ross Coulthart says he's spoken to an ex-bikie member who gives an insight into the amount of money these activities bring in.
"He was being paid $10,000 a week just to look after weapons... Imagine what the king pins are making," he says.
Having investigated bikie gangs for many years, Ross says there's recently been a shift. What used to be resolved among individual bikies has now evolved into violence that threatens innocent bystanders.
"The phenomenon now is for people to get a machine gun and spray the front of a house."
A lot of people in outlaw motorcycle gangs are shocked at the brazenness," he says.
In one of the incidents this week, the home of a senior member of the Hells Angels (currently in jail) was shot at, which Ross says is a symbolic statement, designed to say "we're not now coming after you, we're coming after your families... and that's when dreadful things start to happen."