Police reportedly blasted their way into a Melbourne Hells Angels headquarters this morning as part of a raid on four premises connected to the bikie gang across the north of the city.
According to the Herald Sun newspaper, police used explosives to gain entry to the heavily fortified clubhouse of the Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels, in Thomastown, about 8am.
Detective Superintendent Doug Fryer told Fairfax Radio: "I can advise that two of the four addresses required forced entry and we utilised our Special Operations Group and in partnership with the Australian Federal Police operational response group."
"Certainly the clubhouse in Thomastown was (heavily fortified) and we were able to effect entry to the premises quite quickly."
Police have charged a 42-year-old Greensborough man with possession and trafficking of a drug.
The man, who reportedly is a senior office bearer of the Nomad chapter, has been granted bail.
A 26-year-old Thomastown woman also arrested as a part of the raids has been released pending further investigations.
Police forensic teams are examining a number of items seized from the properties, including a firearm, ammunition and drugs.
Det Supt Fryer said the raids were in response to a number of armed attacks that gang members had carried out recently, the Herald Sun reported.
The raids are part of Taskforce Echo, which was formed in February to "prevent, detect and disrupt organised criminality" among outlaw motorcycle gangs.
Det Supt Fryer said over the last couple of months police had raided several outlaw bikie gang clubhouses and home addresses of members, seizing items such as pistols, revolvers, shotguns, tasers and drugs.
Police will continue to search the Nomads clubhouse and the other raided premises throughout the day.
"This is part of a national approach to addressing organised criminality among the bikie gangs, where certainly all the states, territories and the Commonwealth agencies are on the same page that they're an issue for us and we'll continue to focus on them," Det Supt Fryer said.
"So we work hand in hand with the Commonwealth authorities and the state boundaries are no longer a hindrance to us, because they have never been for the various clubs."
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