Victoria Police have arrested nine people and laid 42 charges as part of a national day of action targeting Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMCG), including the Mongols.
In Victoria, the Taskforce Morpheus day of action - which ran on Wednesday 10 September - focussed on swooping on OMCG members, including the Mongols, and their associates for Firearm Prohibition Order (FPO) searches and other offences including affray and drugs.
Detectives from Echo Taskforce, VIPER Taskforce and Hawk Taskforce, as well as police from the regions including Caulfield Divisional Response Unit and Dandenong Family Violence Investigation Unit teamed up to conduct 20 FPO searches in multiple suburbs.
Suburbs included Parkdale, Mentone, Narre Warren, St Kilda, Hallam, Hoppers Crossing, Docklands, Diggers Rest, South Kingsville, Clyde North, Point Cook, South Morang, Craigieburn, Smythes Creek, Tatura and Shepparton.
Four new FPO's were also served on OMCG members.
Six of the arrests resulted in charges for an affray linked to an assault in a correctional facility in Lara on 7 December 2024.
The other arrests related to various criminal offending.
It included a 34-year-old Cranbourne West man who was arrested for possessing 100g methylamphetamine.
He's since been charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of a drug of dependence and has been remanded to face the Melbourne Magistrates' Court today.
More than 1,400 in cash was also seized by police during the arrest.
Another arrest included a 26-year-old Diggers Rest man for possessing prescription medications without a prescription.
Across the country, police arrested 41 people in total, resulting in 120 charges.
Police also conducted 43 FPO compliance checks, 21 search warrants, seizing two replica firearms, an amount of ammunition, more than 100kg of methamphetamine, 231ml of anabolic steroids, 447 tablets of prescription medication, about $20,000 worth of illicit tobacco and more than $32,000 cash.
Anyone with information about OMCG activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Quotes attributable to Detective Acting Inspector Ben Oakley, Echo Taskforce:
"This day of action shows just how serious we are in tracking down outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCG) to hold them to account for their offences and keep Victorians safe.
"OMCGs remain a significant national problem - they're motivated by profit and greed and infiltrate communities, industry and businesses. We'll also continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners interstate to target any offending regardless of where it occurs.
"We also know these members have been involved in violent crimes, which is why we'll continue working tirelessly and conduct days of action like this to impact their ability to cause further harm.
"This is also about creating greater consequences for these individuals should they come into possession of a firearm - if they want to roll the dice they could be looking at up to 10 years in prison."
