BIKER NEWS -- Immigration authorities have ramped up the pressure on foreign bikies living in WA - hitting another three Rebels gang...
BIKER NEWS -- Immigration authorities have ramped up the pressure on foreign bikies living in WA - hitting another three Rebels gang members with deportation orders.
The three men were all New Zealand nationals who were taken into custody on Sunday and Monday after their visas were cancelled by the Immigration Minister on “character grounds”.
One of the men - former New Zealand soldier Ko Rutene - was arrested as he was leaving Casuarina Prison after visiting another senior member of his gang who is also awaiting deportation to New Zealand.
Mr Rutene’s lawyer Michael Pena-Rees claimed his client was a FIFO worker and a father with no criminal record, but was being treated like a criminal simply because of his membership of a motorcycle gang.
Mr Pena-Rees also claimed the Mr Rutene was surrounded by seven officers from the WA Police gang crime squad who pointed tasers at him during his arrest.
The other two Rebels members were believed to be Mehaka Tepuia and Michael Joiner who had both lived in Perth for more than a decade.
The deportation issue has become a hot topic in New Zealand where anger is growing at Australia’s crackdown on unwanted foreigners.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key raised his concerns about the policy directly with Malcolm Turnbull during his visit to New Zealand last month.
More than 100 Kiwis have already been sent home this year and it is understood close to 200 more are in detention awaiting deportation.
The crackdown began in December when the threshold for revoking visas was lowered to include anyone who had been jailed for more than twelve months, or members of organisations such as bikie gangs that were suspected of being involved in organised crime.
A spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said the Government remained committed to protecting the Australian community from those involved in serious criminal activity.
This article was first published on November 4, 2015, 6:04 am
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