Malta police warned by Europol 18 months ago, in a memo circulated Europe-wide, about the arrival of biker gangs like MC Rebels for the purpose of organised crime networks
Eighteen months ago, the Australia newspaper The Age reported:
Australian bikie gangs are aggressively expanding overseas and creating havoc for international authorities who fear violent inter-group conflicts and a boost in drug and arms trafficking.
A memo circulated by the European law enforcement agency, Europol, said the arrival of the Rebels and the Comancheros was causing tension with established outlaw motorcycle gangs in Europe.
(…)
The head of Australia’s national anti-bikie taskforce, Detective Superintendent John De Candia, said it was a ”big problem” for police at home because gangs were opening chapters in strategic locations along drug, arms and human trafficking routes.
”They’re not going over there to simply ride their bikes, they’re going to open up opportunities to get drugs and firearms back to Australia,” he said.
Gangs are taking advantage of countries with lax laws and easy access to illegal drugs and firearms.
Senior members are travelling to Malta, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK and Thailand to establish chapters using existing contacts or by ”patching over” existing clubs.
”They engage and conduct their business just like any other criminal organisation – they look for whatever weaknesses exist in the law enforcement or governments and exploit those through violence and extortion,” Superintendent De Candia said.
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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/european-alert-as-australian-bikies-expand-20121229-2c0lj.html#ixzz354l6dgDL
Meanwhile, on the BBC.
http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-27891458
It would be interesting to know whether there are any police force members amongst the Rebels photo you posted.
Clubs like the Rebels MC, Hells Angels MC and would NEVER deploy police members. It is part of the rules that no civil servants can join an MC club.
The ignorance about this subject in Malta is alarming. On the other hand there are clubs and clubs. Some are just motorcycle clubs, groups of friends who like to ride together, organise barbecues, charity rides and fun stuff while others like the Rebels MC are MAFIA.
Unfortunately we tend to put all clubs and bikers in bad light. There are groups in Malta that have been collecting money in charity rides for the past 20 years so check your stuff Mr.
Tgħid dan ġie jivvota wkoll?
Ha! Bikers, you’ve just been screwed:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27926348
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKM77BOe8gA&feature=share
Has anyone calculated how many circuits of the Mdina to Cirkewwa route you’d need in order to ride until your tyres fall off?