Twenty people have been charged and 30 tonnes of gold ore has been seized in WA during an investigation into bikie gangs allegedly using the stolen ore for money laundering and drug operations.
The gold-bearing ore was allegedly stolen from mining sites around the Kalgoorlie region before the organised criminals turned it into gold in an “amateur refinery”, police have said.
Western Australia Police Minister Paul Papalia has slammed the alleged actions of those charged as “selfish and idiotic.”
The charges come after a three-day operation last week which combined police from Kalgoorlie’s specialised ‘Gold Stealing Detection Unit’ with local police and Perth’s Gang Crimes squad.
Between January 15 and January 17, 20 people were arrested and charged with a total of 56 charges laid in the scheme.
Police squads used battering rams to beat in the doors of several properties, footage of the arrests showed.
Charges ranged from possession of the allegedly stolen gold ore, to gun and drug possession offences.
After the apparent backyard gold refineries were discovered, support personnel were called in from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, ChemCentre and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
After they suited up in hazardous material protection, the dangerous chemicals associated with the gold processing were dealt with.
Detective Inspector Adrian Vuleta from the Goldfields-Esperance District Office warned that the amatuer refining could pose serious risks to the community.
“People who engage in improvised extraction processes in their back gardens are not only exposing themselves to increased health risks from the chemicals used, but they potentially expose their neighbours to those same risks,” he said.
Vuleta said the operation prevented the direct theft of the gold which police believe was being laundered to obtain cash to fund the purchase of Meth to sell in the community.
Western Australia’s Minister for Police, Paul Papalia, said “This operation confirms just how little bikies care about the community, it’s all about their greed and self-interest.”
“Apart from the unlawful nature of the activity, amateur refining of gold involving dangerous chemicals in suburban areas could have had catastrophic consequences, including potentially contaminating local water supplies.
“The actions of those involved were selfish and idiotic.
Papalia said WA Police force was committed to disrupting and dismantling organised motorcycle crime gang activity across WA, saying the state had the toughest bikie laws in the country.
“It’s time to get out of the gang or get out of our state,” he said.
