Law enforcement agencies from across Australia and New Zealand have targeted the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Club in a coordinated National Day of Action as part of Operation Morpheus.
The focus of the National Day of Action was to cause maximum disruption to the Comanchero's through compliance and enforcement activities across Australia and New Zealand.
With a significant legacy of past national coordination and collaboration by law enforcement and partners in Australia and New Zealand, National Taskforce Operation Morpheus is a joint initiative. This includes all Australian State and Territory police, New Zealand Police, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Defence Force, AUSTRAC, Australian Taxation Office, and Services Australia collaboratively targeting the highest threat outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs) impacting Australia and New Zealand.
The National Day of Action, held on Thursday 5 March 2026, was focused on disrupting and dismantling the organisational capability of the Comanchero OMCG. Across the country and New Zealand, police executed search warrants and arrest warrants, and targeted illicit firearms, weapons, drugs and traffic related offences.
Further actions undertaken by law enforcement agencies included conducting Firearms Prohibition Order (FPO) compliance checks, bail compliance checks, and dispersal/consorting related offences.
In total, Taskforce Morpheus resulted in 56 arrests (resulting in 168 charges), 37 FPO compliance checks, 51 search warrants executed, four visa cancellation referrals along with items being seized including illicit drugs, firearms and cash.
By proactively targeting OMCG's throughout Australia and New Zealand in a day of action using a combination of enforcement, compliance and disruption techniques Operation Morpheus generates significant intelligence holdings. Shared intelligence relating gang to membership and associates, locations and gang related premises and criminal activities play a crucial role in national and international law enforcement awareness of links with OMCG's like the Comancheros and organised crime.
As national organised crime continues to move into the illegal tobacco and vape industry, including OMCG involvement with other crime groups law enforcement and partners are actively focused on this activity, including the extreme violence, firearms, extortion, arson, and money laundering activities.
Leveraging shared capability and technology, National Taskforce Morpheus also targets criminal assets and unexplained wealth of key OMCG members, protects vulnerable people and develops national strategies to deter gang recruitment, reduce membership and target recidivism and enablers to organised crime.
Agency Key Results:
South Australia Police -
Small quantities of illicit substances seized, 11 Firearms Prohibition Order compliance searches were conducted. Significant additional contemporary criminal intelligence was gathered relating to the Comancheros activity in SA.
Detective Superintendent Shane Addison, officer in charge of SAPOL's Serious and Organised Crime says, "Crime Gangs Taskforce participated in a coordinated National Day of Action focusing on the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang by undertaking 11 searches to enforce Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO), executing an additional search warrant. The searches resulted in 2 reports for possession of cannabis,1 report for drug driving, the seizure of steroids and resulted in the seizure of 2 dogs by the RSPCA related to animal neglect. Information gained from these searches has been used to enhance local and national picture of the operations and structure of the Comanchero OMCG."
National Coordinator for Taskforce Morpheus National Day of Action and Detective Acting Inspector Sean Wright of the WA Police Force's Serious and Organised Crime Division said these coordinated efforts sends a clear message to OMCG members. "This National Day of Action demonstrates that jurisdictions across Australia and New Zealand are working together and remain committed to disrupting organised criminal activity, including outlaw motorcycle gangs. "The nationally aligned focus on OMCGs strengthens intelligence sharing between jurisdictions and further supports our enforcement objectives. Our message to OMCGs and their supporters is clear: we are working together, we are watching at all times, and we will be relentless – not only on this day of action, but every day throughout the year. "This is a further reminder to the community that OMCGs are not harmless motorcycle clubs. They are violent criminal gangs causing harm and disruption. Their actions undermine public safety, and we continue to maintain a zero‑tolerance approach to their behaviour."
