Australian police seek to declare Hells Angels criminal organisation

Australian police in New South Wales have applied to declare the Hells Angels a criminal organisation. 

An application has been lodged with the Supreme Court, and the police are hoping to place control orders on its members.

New South Wales Crime Command Chief Dave Hudson said, “We are not saying that they are worse than other gangs, we are saying that the Hells Angles motorcycle club at this stage is the club that we have approached the Supreme Court and lodged an application to declare a criminal organisation.”

Of their activity he said, “It’s serious criminal activity, which ranges from a wide variety of offences, all the way to illicit drug trafficking.

“It would have been irresponsible of the police not to utilise legislation that was available to us to try and control criminal organisations within New South Wales.

“We expect that there may be some challenges, or that not everybody’s going to be happy with the action we’ve taken; we’re prepared for that.”

A spokesman for the United Motorcycle Council said, “I’m not a member of the Hells Angels, so I can’t speak for them.

“The Council’s been together, we’ve been waiting for a club to be declared and if the Government was to declare it, then the Motorcycle Council will back that club.”