BN -- A sub-machinegun was among a cache of weapons seized when police raided the home of an alleged bikie associate north of Brisba...
BN -- A sub-machinegun was among a cache of weapons seized when police raided the home of an alleged bikie associate north of Brisbane on Monday.
The newly-formed Australian Border Force, along with Queensland's anti-bikie squad Taskforce Maxima, raided the home in semi-rural Clear Mountain following a tip-off to the federal agency.
The weapon haul included an Uzi-style sub-machinegun fitted with a silencer, two semi-automatic rifles, a Glock semi-automatic handgun, a "western style" revolver and a sawn-off shotgun.
Investigators believe weapons parts were being imported from South East Asia, assembled at the property and then onsold.
Charges are yet to be laid but police are interviewing two men and a woman.
One of the men being questioned is 33-year-old Karl Morrison, who police believe is the son of a Rebels Motorcycle Club office bearer.
The other man is 33-year-old Christopher Brian Neilson, who was out on parole at the time of the raid.
In 2012, Neilson was jailed in over two bashings outside a Melbourne CBD strip club in December 2010. One of the victims reportedly suffered permanent brain damage when he was elbowed in head.
Victoria's County Court was told how Neilson and the victim got into an argument inside the club, before Neilson struck the man.
"I didn't say a word to him. I elbowed him in the face. That was it. Didn't say another word, I just walked off," he told Victorian police after the attack.
On Monday, Taskforce Maxima officers also found small quantities of methamphetamines, cocaine and cannabis at the Clear Mountain property.
It is believed Mr Morrison, Neilson and the woman had been living at the property for less than two months.
The large dwelling on Branch Creek Road was not listed as a rental property, and police are now investigating the arrangement the trio had with the owner.
A sophisticated security system was also in place at the site, Taskforce Maxima Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said.
"It had quite a long dirt road driveway in the bush, and it had cameras hidden along that driveway. There were cameras on the external parts of the house, including what appeared to be a large infrared cameras on the roof," he said.
"It was all linked back to screens inside so the occupants could monitor all the approaches to the residence."
The weapons haul was not discovered in the home, but in bushland on the site.
Inspector Smith said monitoring criminals who imported products from overseas was a constant challenge.
"It certainly highlights it's one of the issues law enforcement has to tackle. Australia's got a large coastline and there's a lot of containers that come in daily," he said.
"Border Force are doing a great job and we're doing operations with them almost weekly now."
This article was first published on October 19, 2015
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