Why the world’s most notorious bikie gang is expanding its presence in Victoria

The Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang is expanding its Melbourne operations.

The Herald Sun today reports a new national boss has opened a “City Chapter” of the Hells Angels in Melbourne to take on the Mongols.

Expert in outlaw motorcycle gangs from Queensland’s University of Technology, Associate Professor Mark Lauchs, says the expansion is happening because Victoria’s laws haven’t kept up.

“Queensland and NSW have proper legislation. It’s pretty much that simple,” he told Ross and Russel.

“It started back when Campbell Newman brought in the first round of tough legislation in Queensland and a lot of our most violent bikies left and moved to South Australia and Victoria.”

At that time, Associate Professor Lauchs says “bikies weren’t the problem” in Victoria, with police focusing their efforts on Melbourne’s gangland wars.

But Victoria would be unwise to be the last state or territory in Australia to introduce tougher anti-bikie laws.

“You want to displace them. You don’t want to be the last jurisdiction in Australia to do it,” Professor Lauchs said.

“You want the violent bikies to go somewhere else.”

ROSS: “So Victoria is sort of the Cayman Islands of motorcycle gangs, is it?”

PROFESSOR LAUCHS: “No, that’s the ACT! You’re more like Liechtenstein — it’s a place you can go, be part of your club and do what you want in the streets without too much hassle from the police.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about what’s fuelling the expansion of the Hells Angels in Victoria