Police prepare for Rebels bikie ride ahead of last hurrah for gang colours
About 200 bikies from the outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) are expected to ride into Mildura in the state's far north-west on Thursday evening, before heading to Swan Hill for the start of the club run to Melbourne on Friday.
Mildura police Inspector Dave Barrie said officers would be on high alert to ensure community safety.
"We'll reiterate to them [Rebel Motorcycle Club members] that their intention should be to come to town, enjoy their weekend and not make a nuisance of themselves.
"They work with us in the lead-up to these things."
The new laws banning the public display of OMCG colours and gang insignia come into force in late August.
The Victorian government has indicated it is yet to decide which clubs will come under the new regulations, but the government's own Engage Victoria list puts outlaw bikie gangs such as the Rebels, Finks, Mongols and Comanchero in the mix.
The laws will ban the display of club names, logos, or marks that indicate membership, including the "1%" patch for bikies who consider themselves a part of the criminal element of a club.
Bikies caught wearing banned club colours or insignia face a maximum fine of $12,210.60 and $61,053 for the club.
Echo and VIPER taskforces, specialist resources from Melbourne, and local police from Victoria and New South Wales will set up a checkpoint at an undisclosed location to ensure the riders comply with road rules and behave.
This weekend will be the latest interaction between police and the Rebels, as authorities try to address the club's footing in the regional city of Mildura.
In April, anti-gang squads charged three people, including a patched member of the Rebels Motorcycle Club, over alleged drug trafficking, seizing 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, worth an estimated $1 million.
A month later, VIPER taskforce detectives returned to Mildura and Swan Hill, targeting OMCGs and organised crime groups in the areas.
The week-long operation resulted in 20 arrests for firearm, weapon and drug offences.
Police told the ABC at the time that 42 charges were laid following the arrests and officers seized eight guns, $24,000 in cash, and drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, and cannabis.
In August 2023, seven gang members were arrested and three were charged with ammunition, weapons and drug offences.
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