AN escalating war between bikies and security heavyweights over control of the lucrative industry is behind a series of shootings and a strip club firebombing yesterday.
Police are fearful an innocent person could soon be killed in the fallout as the Comancheros gang seeks to take control of security at Victorian venues.
Echo taskforce detectives said yesterday that bikies were behind an 18-month campaign of violence, including seven shootings, as they seek to scare legitimate companies away from the industry.
The ongoing feud is wider than the vendetta against Kittens strip club, which was hit for the third time yesterday.
The bikies have maintained their onslaught against the popular strip club despite it parting ways with the security industry figure suspected of being their target.
Three weeks ago, Kittens ceased using crowd controllers operated by industry figure Clay Auimatagi, in a move management hoped would fend off the attacks.
A source with knowledge of the dispute said: “Clay is fantastic. This all came about because he refused to let some bikies into a club one time.”
Police are expected to speak to a number of people over the coming days as they seek to end the violence.
Early yesterday, Kittens in Caulfield South was firebombed, which comes after two drive-by shootings at the company’s South Melbourne premises. The Cecil St strip club was shot at last November and in January, with two bouncers injured.
Members of the Comancheros OMCG are suspected of being behind the attacks.
The gang is suspected of having involvement with security at dozens of venues across Victoria.
In September last year, Mr Auimatagi, 44, was shot several times in the leg outside his Skamma Gym in Vesper Drive, Narre Warren.
There were suspicions the attack on the former kickboxer was connected to a brawl with bouncers outside a CBD nightclub that involved a Comanchero and one of his associates.
Gang member Samson Bazi and underworld figure Nabil Maghnie were involved in the fight after being refused entry.
Mr Auimatagi was for some time a close associate of former Comancheros president Mick Murray, who runs the Nitro Gym in Hallam.
Detective Inspector Ian Campbell, of the Echo Taskforce, said: “For the past 18 months, there has been an ongoing feud between OMCG gangs and the security industry. We’ve had about seven non-fatal shootings and now an explosion and fire resulting from the ongoing feud in the security industry.
“Fortunately, we had a witness come forward this morning and she said she saw a white BMW leave the scene.”
That vehicle, believed to be stolen, was later located burnt out in Hallam at 6am. One man was spotted on CCTV with the car. Police said 11 residents were evacuated from a nearby apartment block shortly after the explosion at Kittens at 3am yesterday.
“I want to emphasis this is not a vendetta against Kittens, itself,” Insp. Campbell said.
“We believe it is a specific attack at the security industry.
“This type of behaviour puts innocent people and their lives at risk. The indiscriminate nature of the attacks has the potential to endanger innocent members of the public.”
The escalating feud was a top priority for Victoria Police and Echo, Insp. Campbell said.
“The security industry at this stage is troublesome and we have a number of people associated with OMCGs trying to muscle in on the industry and take a large slice of the pie.
“What they are endeavouring to do is take over a larger portion of the industry.”
A Kittens spokesman told the Herald Sun he hoped arrests would be made soon.
MELBOURNE BIKIE FEUD GOES BACK YEARS
THE bad blood between outlaw bikie gang the Comancheros and tough security boss Clay Auimatagi goes back years.
It wasn’t always that way.
Years before the shootings directed at Mr Auimatagi and his crew began, there was “talk’’ the Samoan-born former kickboxer could lead the Comancheros as the bikie club’s state commander.
He was the perfect candidate, in their eyes, to give the club a larger portion of the security pie.
Mr Auimatagi was also seemingly fearless.
But the security industry figure wasn’t interested, although never formally asked, paving the way for Mick Murray to take over as boss.
It wasn’t the first time he had rubbed the Comancheros up the wrong way.
When a group of “Comos’’ bowled up to Kittens strip club in South Melbourne not long after they set up in Melbourne in 2010, Mr Auimatagi turned them away.
Considering the strip club was within “Como turf’’ , it was a bold move.
Mr Auimatagi would not be daunted as he grew his security firm, building into his business model a black-ban on bikies and gangsters anywhere he ran the door. But Mr Auimatagi also began upsetting the gangs which owned rival security businesses.
Insiders in the security industry say Mr Auimatagi began gaining contracts across Melbourne, including in Dandenong, which agitated the Comancheros who have a strong presence in the area.
The Victoria Police anti-bikie Echo taskforce believe Mr Auimatagi’s growth made him a target.
Although Mr Auimatagi has never regarded Mr Murray as a friend, they have worked building their wealth in the same industries.
Both run gyms in neighbouring suburbs and are connected to a security firm vying for the same business.
Although the current spate of violence dates back to 2014, a brawl outside Bond Bar in Melbourne’s CBD in August last year was a significant flash point. Among those in the fracas with Mr Auimatagi’s bouncers was Samson Bazi, who set up the Comancheros in Melbourne, and underworld figure Nabil Maghnie.
There was retribution.
The following month, Mr Auimatagi was shot in the leg outside his gym, Skamma, in Narre Warren. He told the Herald Sun he did not know who the gunman was and has been equally vague with police investigators.
In October, Robert Morando, a one-time director of Ultimate Crowd Control, was shot near his home and left for dead during his regular evening walk along Berwick Springs Promenade in Narre Warren South. He was on bail.
The shooting, like the six other shootings and yesterday’s firebombing, remains unsolved but continues to be investigated for any links to the ongoing feud.
It is not suggested Mr Auimatagi had any involvement in the crime, but the shooting has not been discounted from the series of shootings and bomb attack on Kittens.
In fact, it is suggested Mr Auimatagi has attempted to “clean up’’ the security business with his stance against OMCG groups and organised criminals.
As a result, the three attacks on Kittens — two involving drive-by gunfire and the bombing — is believed to be directed at security, not the business, itself.
Yesterday’s bombing may have been a warning to the new security firm to pay the Comancheros to keep the venue safe.
Mr Auimatagi’s security firm walked away from their contract with Kittens three weeks ago. Other security firms are also believed to have been put under pressure.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/escalating-bikie-war-at-the-centre-of-strip-club-fire-brewing-for-years/news-story/eb1805d4b72092618d07e9a698231563
Police are fearful an innocent person could soon be killed in the fallout as the Comancheros gang seeks to take control of security at Victorian venues.
Echo taskforce detectives said yesterday that bikies were behind an 18-month campaign of violence, including seven shootings, as they seek to scare legitimate companies away from the industry.
The ongoing feud is wider than the vendetta against Kittens strip club, which was hit for the third time yesterday.
The bikies have maintained their onslaught against the popular strip club despite it parting ways with the security industry figure suspected of being their target.
Three weeks ago, Kittens ceased using crowd controllers operated by industry figure Clay Auimatagi, in a move management hoped would fend off the attacks.
A source with knowledge of the dispute said: “Clay is fantastic. This all came about because he refused to let some bikies into a club one time.”
Police are expected to speak to a number of people over the coming days as they seek to end the violence.
Early yesterday, Kittens in Caulfield South was firebombed, which comes after two drive-by shootings at the company’s South Melbourne premises. The Cecil St strip club was shot at last November and in January, with two bouncers injured.
Members of the Comancheros OMCG are suspected of being behind the attacks.
The gang is suspected of having involvement with security at dozens of venues across Victoria.
In September last year, Mr Auimatagi, 44, was shot several times in the leg outside his Skamma Gym in Vesper Drive, Narre Warren.
There were suspicions the attack on the former kickboxer was connected to a brawl with bouncers outside a CBD nightclub that involved a Comanchero and one of his associates.
Gang member Samson Bazi and underworld figure Nabil Maghnie were involved in the fight after being refused entry.
Mr Auimatagi was for some time a close associate of former Comancheros president Mick Murray, who runs the Nitro Gym in Hallam.
Detective Inspector Ian Campbell, of the Echo Taskforce, said: “For the past 18 months, there has been an ongoing feud between OMCG gangs and the security industry. We’ve had about seven non-fatal shootings and now an explosion and fire resulting from the ongoing feud in the security industry.
“Fortunately, we had a witness come forward this morning and she said she saw a white BMW leave the scene.”
That vehicle, believed to be stolen, was later located burnt out in Hallam at 6am. One man was spotted on CCTV with the car. Police said 11 residents were evacuated from a nearby apartment block shortly after the explosion at Kittens at 3am yesterday.
“I want to emphasis this is not a vendetta against Kittens, itself,” Insp. Campbell said.
“We believe it is a specific attack at the security industry.
“This type of behaviour puts innocent people and their lives at risk. The indiscriminate nature of the attacks has the potential to endanger innocent members of the public.”
The escalating feud was a top priority for Victoria Police and Echo, Insp. Campbell said.
“The security industry at this stage is troublesome and we have a number of people associated with OMCGs trying to muscle in on the industry and take a large slice of the pie.
“What they are endeavouring to do is take over a larger portion of the industry.”
A Kittens spokesman told the Herald Sun he hoped arrests would be made soon.
MELBOURNE BIKIE FEUD GOES BACK YEARS
THE bad blood between outlaw bikie gang the Comancheros and tough security boss Clay Auimatagi goes back years.
It wasn’t always that way.
Years before the shootings directed at Mr Auimatagi and his crew began, there was “talk’’ the Samoan-born former kickboxer could lead the Comancheros as the bikie club’s state commander.
He was the perfect candidate, in their eyes, to give the club a larger portion of the security pie.
Mr Auimatagi was also seemingly fearless.
But the security industry figure wasn’t interested, although never formally asked, paving the way for Mick Murray to take over as boss.
It wasn’t the first time he had rubbed the Comancheros up the wrong way.
When a group of “Comos’’ bowled up to Kittens strip club in South Melbourne not long after they set up in Melbourne in 2010, Mr Auimatagi turned them away.
Considering the strip club was within “Como turf’’ , it was a bold move.
Mr Auimatagi would not be daunted as he grew his security firm, building into his business model a black-ban on bikies and gangsters anywhere he ran the door. But Mr Auimatagi also began upsetting the gangs which owned rival security businesses.
Insiders in the security industry say Mr Auimatagi began gaining contracts across Melbourne, including in Dandenong, which agitated the Comancheros who have a strong presence in the area.
The Victoria Police anti-bikie Echo taskforce believe Mr Auimatagi’s growth made him a target.
Although Mr Auimatagi has never regarded Mr Murray as a friend, they have worked building their wealth in the same industries.
Both run gyms in neighbouring suburbs and are connected to a security firm vying for the same business.
Although the current spate of violence dates back to 2014, a brawl outside Bond Bar in Melbourne’s CBD in August last year was a significant flash point. Among those in the fracas with Mr Auimatagi’s bouncers was Samson Bazi, who set up the Comancheros in Melbourne, and underworld figure Nabil Maghnie.
There was retribution.
The following month, Mr Auimatagi was shot in the leg outside his gym, Skamma, in Narre Warren. He told the Herald Sun he did not know who the gunman was and has been equally vague with police investigators.
In October, Robert Morando, a one-time director of Ultimate Crowd Control, was shot near his home and left for dead during his regular evening walk along Berwick Springs Promenade in Narre Warren South. He was on bail.
The shooting, like the six other shootings and yesterday’s firebombing, remains unsolved but continues to be investigated for any links to the ongoing feud.
It is not suggested Mr Auimatagi had any involvement in the crime, but the shooting has not been discounted from the series of shootings and bomb attack on Kittens.
In fact, it is suggested Mr Auimatagi has attempted to “clean up’’ the security business with his stance against OMCG groups and organised criminals.
As a result, the three attacks on Kittens — two involving drive-by gunfire and the bombing — is believed to be directed at security, not the business, itself.
Yesterday’s bombing may have been a warning to the new security firm to pay the Comancheros to keep the venue safe.
Mr Auimatagi’s security firm walked away from their contract with Kittens three weeks ago. Other security firms are also believed to have been put under pressure.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/escalating-bikie-war-at-the-centre-of-strip-club-fire-brewing-for-years/news-story/eb1805d4b72092618d07e9a698231563