Police have arrested eight people, including three people linked to the Nomads bikie club, over a crime spree across the NSW South Coast.
The three-day spree in December last year allegedly involved shots being fired into a Batehaven and Nelligen home, a car fire and fraudulent bushfire claims against a charity organisation.
NSW police arrested four men and a woman on Tuesday morning, following a three-month investigation into the incidents with three of them linked to the Nomads bikie club, one a senior member.
A further three people, all inmates at the South Coast Correctional Centre, were also charged in a separate operation targeting detainees with links to the Nomads.
Investigations were launched after multiple shots were fired into the window of a Batehaven home at 11pm on December 1.
Almost three hours later, shots were fired into a home in Nelligen on the Kings Highway.
No one was injured in either shooting incident.
About 2am on December 2, it’s alleged three men, all armed with guns, approached another three men in a car at the intersection of the Princes Highway and Cranbrook Road near Batemans Bay.
One of the three people in the car was allegedly threatened and hit in the back of the head with a gun following an altercation.
The three in the car then reported the incident to police.
A Proton sedan was then found destroyed in a car fire in Surf Beach about 1am on December 3.
An investigation into the linked incidents was launched by South Coast police, before being turned over to the state’s Criminal Groups Squad as part of Strike Force Essendene.
Detectives involved in the investigation received information alleging fraudulent claims about bushfires against a charity organisation, drug supply and extortion.
Search warrants were then carried out at homes in Sunshine Bay and Batehaven on Tuesday, leading to five arrests.
Four men, aged 25, 26, 31 and 33, were arrested along with a 20-year-old woman.
Police seized methylamphetamine – also known as the drug ice – along with drug paraphernalia, Nomads colours, mobile phones, a laptop and a baton.
The 31-year-old man, from Sunshine Bay, is a senior member of the Nomads bikie club and was charged with knowingly directing activities of a criminal group, two counts of firing a gun as part of organised criminal activity, possessing an unregistered gun, stalking and intimidation as well as assault.
The 25-year-old, a Nomads associate, was charged with several offences including supplying a prohibited drug and firing a gun as part of organised criminal activity.
The 26-year-old, from Batehaven, was charged with publishing misleading material to obtain property and drug supply.
The 33-year-old, also a Nomads associate, was charged with 16 offences, including participating in criminal group activity, stalking and intimidation, drug supply and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Bail was refused for all four men and they will appear in Batemans Bay Local Court on Wednesday.
The woman was charged with assaulting an officer and resisting an officer and was granted conditional bail.
She will appear before court on April 6.
Following from the arrest, searches were carried out on 16 cells at the South Coast Correctional Centre, targeting inmates linked to the Nomads.
Drugs, tobacco and jail-made weapons were found during the operation.
Three inmates, a 19, 32 and 35-year-old were charged.
Investigations are continuing.
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Source: Canberra Times