OFF THE WIRE
urf n' Ink event manager Lindsay Hall says the idea of a tattoo register is ridiculous and an invasion of privacy. Photo of her at Surf n' Ink Studio, Mermaid Beach with tattooist Kris Olsen. Picture: Richard Gosling Source: News Limited
TATTOOED Queenslanders would have to register their ink with the State Government under a radical proposal to crack down on bikie gang money-laundering operations.
However, a leading civil libertarian has already raised concerns about the plan, saying it would unfairly label people as criminals, The Gold Coast Bulletin reports.
Gold Coast MP Ray Stevens said bikie gangs were using tattoo parlours as a front to launder their ill-gotten gains, and a form of tattoo register would stop them using fake names and inflated tattoo prices to do this.
Mr Stevens said fake names were used at bikie-affiliated parlours, with cash payments of thousands of dollars for bogus tattoo work.
Tattoo festival Surf 'n' Ink event manager Lindsay Hall (pictured) said the idea was ridiculous.
"The Government doesn't need to know if I have a tattoo," she said.
More details at The Gold Coast Bulletin.
