Image: Wikimedia Commons / generic police scene.
Hells Angels Hit In Trans-Tasman Police Sweep As Guns, Cash And Drugs Seized
Police have landed a hard blow on the Hells Angels, arresting 40 people and laying 145 charges in a coordinated operation across Australia and New Zealand.
The National Taskforce Morpheus day of action ran on Wednesday, 10 June, with police saying the operation was aimed at weakening the outlaw motorcycle gang’s operating structure, not just picking off low-level offending at the edges.
By Thursday evening, the shape of the raids was clear: 24 search warrants, 14 firearms prohibition order compliance checks, 76 unlawful association notices, two visa cancellation referrals, and seizures that included six pistols, three assault rifles, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, drugs, steroids and $156,000 in cash.
Police also flagged a potential $4.7 million in transport infringement fines, a reminder that these operations often work by squeezing every pressure point available: weapons, money, movement, associates and paperwork.
In NSW, Raptor Squad officers executed warrants in South Windsor, Miller and Lurnea. Police said they seized revolvers, folding firearms and ammunition in Sydney’s south-west, with two men refused bail after separate arrests. A 47-year-old man was also arrested in Goulburn over matters including an alleged 2025 shooting in Narellan, drug supply, firearm supply and participation in a criminal group.
Victoria Police said its Taskforce Echo, backed by VIPER and regional crime squads, issued unlawful association notices linked to the Hells Angels Darkside Chapter and carried out firearms checks in suburbs including Mickleham, Thomastown, Pakenham, Botanic Ridge and Mooroolbark. A 39-year-old Powelltown man is expected to be charged on summons over an alleged firearms prohibition order breach.
The same Victorian unit said three men had already been charged after related warrants last week at Pascoe Vale, Cranbourne North and Berwick, with alleged drug trafficking and firearm offences tied to the broader Hells Angels environment.
South Australia Police said its part in the day of action was about making it harder for outlaw motorcycle gang members to move, meet and do business. The national taskforce also involved the AFP, Australian Border Force, AUSTRAC, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the ATO, Services Australia, state and territory police and New Zealand Police.
The AFP said the operation also had an international edge, with Australian authorities working with European partners around the 2026 Hells Angels World Run in Greece. Police said intelligence gathered there helped identify Australians connected to the club and fed into disruption work back home.
This was not a single raid with a big camera moment. It was a net thrown across borders, cities and agencies. The message from police is blunt: the Hells Angels are still being treated as a serious organised crime threat, and the heat is not coming from one squad alone.
The charges remain before the courts. Anyone with information about organised crime activity can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Sources: NSW Police, Victoria Police, South Australia Police.