Marissa Calligeros
One of state's top cops says southeast Queensland has regrettably become the stage for an escalating turf war between several outlaw bikie gangs, after the weekend's shooting at a Gold Coast shopping centre.
An innocent female bystander was hit by a stray bullet at Robina Town Centre on Saturday afternoon, after an unidentified man opened fire on a Bandidos member named by police sources as Jacques Teamo, shooting him in the left bicep in front of his two children.
The 53-year-old woman remains in Gold Coast Hospital recovering from the gunshot wound to her pelvis. A hospital spokeswoman could not comment on the woman's condition today.
The shooting is believed to be part of a revenge attack on Mr Teamo, whose Mermaid Beach East Coast Ink tattoo parlour was shot at last week.
Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said police intelligence suggested the Hells Angels and Bandidos were involved in an escalating turf war, as well as other outlaw bikie gangs.
"There's a whole range of issues. Our intelligence would suggest that there's a turf war going on - that's probably at bottom of this," he told 612 ABC radio this morning.
"These gangs run big businesses. These are big criminal enterprises and just like any business they want to take over people's territories - that's at the centre of most of these disputes.
"We believe there is an escalating feud between the groups. I don't think it's one or two groups. I think all of them are involved."
Police also suspect the recent violence may be linked to interstate bikie feuds, spilling over the Queensland border.
Mr Stewart made an impassioned plea to the public for information about the shooting, believed to have been carried out by a hired gun from Sydney.
"We won't solve any of these events if the public don't help us," he said.
"We've got a great Queensland, we've got a great society, but it only works if the public are prepared to stand up in these tough times and help their police do their job."
After the weekend's public display of violence, police are concerned bikie gangs are now stepping out of the shadows and no longer dealing with internal conflict behind closed doors.
"We've been on their case, because we see these people as one of the greatest threats to our community that exists," Mr Stewart said.
Police have released five images of the heavily-tattooed man, wearing two different outfits, that authorities believe are responsible for the shooting.
Commissioner Bob Atkinson told reporters yesterday police believe the offender changed clothes after the shooting.
But with gang members operating under a code of silence, Mr Atkinson appealed to “those on the fringes” of the outlaw motorcycle club to come forward with any information they may have.
“We can't detain him and again, as we have mentioned previously, what this highlights is the added level of difficulty associated with people who simply refuse to cooperate, especially with matters of such an extreme serious nature,” he said.
The shooting came after a series of attacks on bikie-related business across Brisbane and the Gold Coast last week.
A vehicle linked to the Bandidos was burned last week, not long after Mr Teamo's tattoo parlour was sprayed with bullets.
Then five masked men armed with baseball bats bashed men inside a Morningside tattoo parlour and an East Brisbane locksmith with links to the Hells Angels last Thursday.
An attempted drive-by shooting of the Gypsy Jokers clubhouse at Everton Hills followed, but the offenders targeted the wrong building.
The recent spate of shootings has the public on edge. Last night, police were called to Beenleigh over reports of gunshots only to find it was fireworks.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey announced yesterday 20 new detectives would join the battle against outlaw motorcycle gangs.
The detectives will be split between anti-bikie squad Taskforce Hydra and the Gold Coast's Serious and Violent Crime Squad, which will be renamed the Major and Organised Crime Squad.
Premier Campbell Newman said he would employ anti-bikie laws of the previous Labor government, despite the Liberal National Party repeatedly criticising the measures while in opposition.
Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/southeast-backdrop-for-escalating-bikie-turf-war-20120430-1xtnl.html#ixzz1tTwiqnUH
An innocent female bystander was hit by a stray bullet at Robina Town Centre on Saturday afternoon, after an unidentified man opened fire on a Bandidos member named by police sources as Jacques Teamo, shooting him in the left bicep in front of his two children.
The 53-year-old woman remains in Gold Coast Hospital recovering from the gunshot wound to her pelvis. A hospital spokeswoman could not comment on the woman's condition today.
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Mr Teamo, who was released from hospital yesterday, is believed to know his attacker but is refusing to talk to police.The shooting is believed to be part of a revenge attack on Mr Teamo, whose Mermaid Beach East Coast Ink tattoo parlour was shot at last week.
Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said police intelligence suggested the Hells Angels and Bandidos were involved in an escalating turf war, as well as other outlaw bikie gangs.
"There's a whole range of issues. Our intelligence would suggest that there's a turf war going on - that's probably at bottom of this," he told 612 ABC radio this morning.
"These gangs run big businesses. These are big criminal enterprises and just like any business they want to take over people's territories - that's at the centre of most of these disputes.
"We believe there is an escalating feud between the groups. I don't think it's one or two groups. I think all of them are involved."
Police also suspect the recent violence may be linked to interstate bikie feuds, spilling over the Queensland border.
Mr Stewart made an impassioned plea to the public for information about the shooting, believed to have been carried out by a hired gun from Sydney.
"We won't solve any of these events if the public don't help us," he said.
"We've got a great Queensland, we've got a great society, but it only works if the public are prepared to stand up in these tough times and help their police do their job."
After the weekend's public display of violence, police are concerned bikie gangs are now stepping out of the shadows and no longer dealing with internal conflict behind closed doors.
"We've been on their case, because we see these people as one of the greatest threats to our community that exists," Mr Stewart said.
Police have released five images of the heavily-tattooed man, wearing two different outfits, that authorities believe are responsible for the shooting.
Commissioner Bob Atkinson told reporters yesterday police believe the offender changed clothes after the shooting.
But with gang members operating under a code of silence, Mr Atkinson appealed to “those on the fringes” of the outlaw motorcycle club to come forward with any information they may have.
“We can't detain him and again, as we have mentioned previously, what this highlights is the added level of difficulty associated with people who simply refuse to cooperate, especially with matters of such an extreme serious nature,” he said.
The shooting came after a series of attacks on bikie-related business across Brisbane and the Gold Coast last week.
A vehicle linked to the Bandidos was burned last week, not long after Mr Teamo's tattoo parlour was sprayed with bullets.
Then five masked men armed with baseball bats bashed men inside a Morningside tattoo parlour and an East Brisbane locksmith with links to the Hells Angels last Thursday.
An attempted drive-by shooting of the Gypsy Jokers clubhouse at Everton Hills followed, but the offenders targeted the wrong building.
The recent spate of shootings has the public on edge. Last night, police were called to Beenleigh over reports of gunshots only to find it was fireworks.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey announced yesterday 20 new detectives would join the battle against outlaw motorcycle gangs.
The detectives will be split between anti-bikie squad Taskforce Hydra and the Gold Coast's Serious and Violent Crime Squad, which will be renamed the Major and Organised Crime Squad.
Premier Campbell Newman said he would employ anti-bikie laws of the previous Labor government, despite the Liberal National Party repeatedly criticising the measures while in opposition.
Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/southeast-backdrop-for-escalating-bikie-turf-war-20120430-1xtnl.html#ixzz1tTwiqnUH