A top federal police chief has waged war on the Mandurah organised crime community, stating a multi-faceted approach is underway to disrupt drug operations and outlawed gangs.
Based at a headquarters on Murray Street in Perth, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have specialised units investigating and fighting crime in Peel and WA, with disrupting outlaw motorcycle gangs a significant focus.
AFP Detective Superintendent Timothy Underhill manages seven teams that report to him on serious criminal offences in Western Australia.
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"Outlaw motorcycle gangs play quite a large part in Perth and WA, in terms of organised crime," he said.
"We have had some warrants over the past year executed in Mandurah on different matters.
"Mandurah certainly does seem to have a lot of organised crime targets, including outlaw motorcycle gang targets, living within the region."
Mandurah Detective Senior Sergeant Troy told the Mandurah Mail in September that Rebels, Mongrel Mob and Coffin Cheaters members were known to reside in the district.
AFP and WA Police executed search warrants in Silver Sands and Meadow Springs in February, seizing $650,000 in cash and a kilogram of cocaine.
Mandurah certainly does seem to have a lot of organised crime targets, including outlaw motorcycle gang targets, living within the region.
- Detective Superintendent Timothy Underhill
Raymond James Silcock, 46, and Aidan Silcock, 23, have not entered a plea to charges including drug trafficking and possessing commercial quantities of unlawfully imported border controlled drugs.
Jacob Oliver Reed, 26, has not entered a plea to two charges including knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime to the value of $50,000 or more.
In October, 2018, WA Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit Detective Inspector Mark Twamley told the Mail there was increased police suppression activity in Peel, like search warrants and patrols of clubhouses, to get drugs and illegal firearms off the streets.
Detective Superintendent Underhill said police target the senior hierarchy of organised crime groups.
"We aim to have the greatest impacts on the criminal networks here by targeting those individuals who are actually arranging and facilitating importations into Australia - and to reduce, as much as possible, the level of harm done by the importation of narcotics to WA," he said.
We work tirelessly with WA Police to try and make West Australia as hostile an environment as possible for outlaw motorcycle gangs.
- Detective Superintendent Timothy Underhill
"So we work tirelessly with WA Police to try and make West Australia as hostile an environment as possible for outlaw motorcycle gangs."
Detective Superintendent Underhill said there were three units focused on fighting organised crime in WA; the Joint Organised Crime Task Force (JOCTF), the National Anti-Gang Squad (NAGS) and the federal police crime team.
NAGS, comprised of WA Police and the AFP team, work in conjunction with other state police and gang task forces.
The JOCTF is made up of several organisations including Border Force and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, which conduct long-term investigations into organised crime groups.
"We work together with our partners to predominantly target organised crime and drug importation," Detective Superintendent Underhill said.
"Particularly money laundering in terms of proceeds of crime, instruments of crime, and drug importations."
We aim to have the greatest impacts on the criminal networks here by targeting those individuals who are actually arranging and facilitating importations into Australia.
- Detective Superintendent Timothy Underhill
Detective Superintendent Underhill said they had the ability to access information and intelligence from all the central agencies involved in law enforcement.
"We also link into our international network and have employees based in a number of offshore jurisdictions," he said.
Detective Superintendent Underhill said WA Police and the federal police had a "very close bond" and working relationship.
"This enables us to leverage from each others resources, share information and intelligence, working together across any crime we deem suitable," he said.
Detective Superintendent Underhill said he could not speak on behalf of the organisation in regards to its position on introducing anti-consorting laws to WA, which would prevent bikies who had a criminal record meeting in person.
But he added any police assistance in fighting gang crime was welcome.
"Any legislation that is brought in that will assist us in dismantling outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime groups, and provide additional tools for us to put pressure on those groups, will be greatly welcomed," Detective Superintendent Underhill said.
The remaining three Perth-based AFP superintendents specialise in counter terrorism, protecting dignitaries including Australian politicians and Perth Airport and border force policing.