AUSTRALIA - Police target professionals linked to criminal bikies

OFF THE WIRE
Police tackling the state's criminal bikie gangs are turning their focus to the white collar "professionals" helping them finance their illegal operations.

Detective Inspector Mick Niland said Taskforce Maxima's Criminal Economy Team was now actively investigating professionals with links to criminal bike gangs.

"Our criminal economy team is tasked with going after the ill-gotten gains of CMG gangs and their participants," Det Insp Niland said.

"Into that mix is professional people, whether it be real estate persons, solicitors, or accountants.

"We currently have a number of professional people under investigation.

"These investigations take time and and are complex.

"But all the people that we are investigating have links to criminal motorcycle gangs, or known criminal gangs."

In October 2013, when Taskforce Maximus started, the federal government offered assistance with criminal forensic accountants.

That section of Taskforce Maxima was now operating effectively, Detective Niland said.
He said the way Taskforce Maxima detectives were working in 2014 was different to how they operated during previous investigations into links between bikies, crime and prostitution.

"It is difficult to defeat the gangs with just criminal prosecutions," he said.
"It is also necessary to not give them the ability for their tentacles to spread into industry.

"Hence the legislation into the administrative areas of government, so they cannot get licences."

He said Queensland Police had information about criminal motorcycle gangs operating on Queensland construction sites which could go before the Royal Commission announced last week.

"We will await the terms of reference of that royal commission," he said.
"There is some intelligence that Queensland Police has ownership that may be of interest."

Since Taskforce Maximus started on October 8 2013, 599 people have been charged with 1304 charges.

There have been 213 search warrants investigated by detectives.

He told Fairfax Media on Thursday that none of the 41 criminal motorcycle clubhouses in Queensland were now operating.

"There were initially 41," Det Supt Niland said.

"There are now no gang premise operating in Queensland," he said.

"Of the 41, 20 have broken leases, terminated leases and the rest are no longer there."

Detective Inspector Niland said some criminal motorcycle gangs had stopped commiting crimes.

"However we are also investigating some that we know are still forming parts of criminal organisations and we know are still involved in serious criminal activity," he said.

"When we apprehend these offenders they will be charged with being part of a criminal organisation under the VLAD Act.

"What we have to prove is that they are a a criminal organisation in their own right, without a club name and that the majority of their business is in relation to criminality."

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/police-target-professionals-linked-to-criminal-bikies-20140213-32n9q.html#ixzz2tGSh1YSo