Bra Boys, Bandidos and Comancheros clash in turf war at Maroubra
Bra Boys, Bandidos and Comancheros clash in turf war at Maroubra
A VOLATILE turf war has broken out between the Bra Boys and two outlaw motorcycle gangs that have begun moving into the surfers' territory in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra.
Police are investigating several violent clashes between members of the Bra Boys and the Bandidos in recent weeks at the renowned Maroubra Bay Hotel.
The venue is a well-known watering hole frequented by the notoriously territorial surfers, who claim Maroubra Beach as their own.
Police said they have observed the Bandidos and another bikie clan, the Comancheros, establishing an unwelcome presence in the Bra Boys' stronghold.
Last weekend, a one-on-one bar fight, allegedly between a junior Bra Boy and a Bandidos gang member, spiralled out of control when up to 20 people from both sides jumped in, turning the minor scrap into an all-in brawl.
It's the second known incident involving the Bra Boys and the Bandidos in less than a month.
The bikie gang is under heavy surveillance following a spate of drive-by shootings around Sydney's west earlier this month.
The free-for-all mayhem involved chairs thrown around the room and an attempted glassing.
Security guards quickly moved in and broke up the melee, forcing the warring sides onto the street before locking down the venue.
On November 15, a similar incident involving Bandidos bikers and members of the Bra Boys took place outside the venue.
Maroubra Bay Hotel management said it had been asked to hand over several tapes of CCTV evidence to police who are investigating the violence.
Gangs squad detectives have also been made aware of the incidents.
Maroubra Superintendent Paul Pisanos said there has been an "emerging manifestation" of "outlaw motorcycle" (OMC) gang members in Maroubra, but the reasons why were still unclear.
He said OMC gangs in the area were tending to "dress down" their appearance, even though it was against club policy, to avoid scrutiny in public.
"I can confirm there has been an OMCG presence down there (at Maroubra Beach) and police have seen that themselves.
"It hasn't been linked into anything other than a presence at this stage. There are ongoing issues with alcohol-related violence and antisocial behaviour by a number of persons and we don't differentiate with them being associated with any group or otherwise."
The Bra Boys and Bandidos are known to have maintained a co-operative relationship with each other in the past, but the rising tensions could destabilise their solid alliance.
The Bandidos once enlisted the Bra Boys to help find and recruit new members for their club.
The surfer group's co-founder, Sunny Abberton, played down the latest developments and said there was no war going on with the biker gangs.
"There's no bad blood between any of the surfers and the bikies," he said.
Mr Abberton also denied any Bra Boys involvement in Saturday night's brawl.
"I didn't hear or see anything," he said. "I was in the Maroubra Bay Hotel earlier and it all seemed pretty quiet."
