Life inside an NT bikie gang

MEMBERS of the Finks Motorcycle Club have broken their code of silence to allow a rarely-seen glimpse inside a bikie gang.

One member says this interview is just the second granted in the club’s 35-year- history.

Club members granted the rare media access to tell their side of last week’s raids by police.

The Finks claim police used heavy-handed and unnecessary tactics – including what they described as “gung-ho” treatment of one member’s daughter and son during a raid on his house.

The Finks say the police actions have only served to strengthen their club.

Another member says an unspoken understanding between the Finks and police will now never be rebuilt.

They say police would routinely be informed of Finks’ parties or the arrival of new club members in town.

He said: “Our communication levels (between Finks and police) are gone now.

“We just want them to know that if they’re going to push us, we’re going to push back. At the end of the day, they came, saw and got nothing (in the raids).”

The Finks say there is no move to establish a major chapter of the club in Alice Springs and their clubhouse on Hele Crescent is rented and just one section of the building.

One of the members said: “We don’t go out every weekend bashing people, and there’s a misconception here that we’ve moved in to town, running around causing trouble, trying to run the town and do this, do that. But it just ain’t happening. It’s all in the police’s eyes.

“If there’s only us in town, what’s the big concern?

“Who are we going to rival with? Who are we going to fight with?

“The raids were a power trip by power rangers, they did it because they know no one else can do that kind of thing to us.”

The most senior member of the group says the officers raided his home while he and his partner were detained elsewhere.

His 14-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son were home alone.

He said: “At the end of the day our women don’t know anything (regarding the club) and our kids definitely don’t know anything … our major issue is they involved our family.

“No one, no matter who you are, would tolerate that happening to their missus and kids.

“They were too gung-ho and they broke the code.”

The senior member and his partner said they had since made an official complaint to the NT Ombudsman about the alleged treatment of their children.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Fri, 21 April 2006
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Gavin King
Copyright: 2006 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au/