Police have charged five people today as part of two investigations into alleged drugs and firearms trafficking by outlaw motor cycle gangs, Victoria Police say.
Detectives from Echo Taskforce along with Wodonga police and the New South Wales Police Gangs Squad executed 10 search warrants this morning.
Nine of those warrants were in Wodonga while one warrant was executed in Albury, at a combination of both residential and business premises.
The warrants relate to separate investigations into alleged drug and firearms trafficking in the area by members of the Black Uhlans and Gypsy Jokers OMCG.
The two investigations have led to this day of action in the area by police.
A 39-year-old Wodonga man, from the Gypsy Jokers, has been charged with tracking firearms, trafficking amphetamines, two counts of possess drug of dependence, possess steroids, four counts of possess unregistered firearm, possess explosive and deal property suspected of being proceeds of crime.
He will appear before an out of sessions hearing at Wodonga Police Station this evening.
A 52-year-old Wodonga man, from the Gypsy Jokers, has been charged with possess drug of dependence and possess prohibited weapon.
He was bailed to appear before Wodonga Magistrates’ Court on 27 February.
A 28-year-old man and 22-year-old woman, both Wodonga West residents and Black Uhlans club members, have been charge with two counts of possess drug of dependence.
Both have been bailed to appear at Wodonga Magistrates’ Court on 29 April.
A 54-year-old Albury man, from the Gypsy Jokers, has been charged by New South Wales police with two counts of possess drug of dependence.
Police also seized a number of items from the properties including firearms, drugs and cash.
Victoria Police’s Echo Taskforce was formed in 2011 to identify the criminal activity undertaken by OMCG in Victoria.
The taskforce has investigative oversight of all OMCG activities in the state and continues to investigate criminal activity throughout metropolitan and rural Victoria.
Anyone with information about OMCG activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
