The Queensland police anti-bikie squad has claimed a big scalp, arresting the national president of the Bandidos in Victoria over a Sunshine Coast theft.
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The man, from Echuca in Victoria's north-eastern Riverina district, was charged with fraud and stealing when he was arrested in the regional city of Ballarat on Friday.
The charges are linked to the arrest on the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday of three Bandidos gang members, who allegedly extorted a Harley Davidson motorcycle from a former member of the Sunshine Coast chapter when he tried to resign.
Police will allege one of the trio sent the stolen motorcycle to the national president, who re-registered it in his name in an attempt to onsell it.
Members of the Sunshine Coast Gang Squad travelled to Ballarat to make the arrest.
The man, 49, appeared in Ballarat Magistrates Court on Friday, where he was bailed to appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on January 19.
Taskforce Maxima chief Detective Superintendent Mick Niland said the arrest of the national president of the gang was an important one and the Sunshine Coast incident demonstrated how criminal motorcycle gangs operated.
"It just shows the depth of nastiness these crime gangs go to, in particular the Bandidos," he said.
"It's a really important fact the national president of the Bandidos has been arrested and charged for offences that have happened in Queensland and three Queensland Bandidos were charged on Thursday."
Superintendent Niland said the Sunshine Coast trio arrested on Wednesday turned on their former member, threatening him before extorting the Harely Davidson, which the disassociated member owned.
Two of the three men were remanded in custody to reappear on January 19, when they faced court soon after their arrests.
The third man was released on conditional bail to reappear on January 15.
Victoria Police's criminal motorcycle gang unit Taskforce Echo assisted in the investigation into the Bandidos national president, seizing a computer, phone and documents in a raid on his home on December 4.
Taskforce Maxima Acting Detective Inspector David Cove said it was a good example of how enforcement agencies across states were working together to crack down on bikie-related crime.
"The arrest of the National President of the Bandidos (criminal motorcycle gang) based in Victoria on offences alleged to have occurred in Queensland shows the nationwide inter-operability and collegiate approach police in Australia towards CMG area."
"We are determined to prosecute the heads of these criminal gangs wherever possible and today's arrest demonstrates our resolve and our reach."
