ONE of America's most feared bikie gangs is eyeing off territory on the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast Bulletin captured exclusive images of patched members of the Mongols in Southport and the club is rumoured to be planning an audacious move to push into the lucrative Glitter Strip. Police fear another club muscling into the city limits could finally tip an already tense environment, with 10 clubs now vying for a slice of the party strip. Zero-tolerance or bikies will own the Coast Of the 10, seven have fortified clubhouses protected by elaborate security. The number of outlaw motorcycle gang members on the Gold Coast has skyrocketed, with up to a third of Queensland bikies now having a Gold Coast address. Queensland police union president Ian Leavers condemned the Mongol push, saying they "simply cause an increase in crime and scare away tourists". "As a community we need to tell these bikie thugs they are not welcome on the Gold Coast," Mr Leavers said. Tensions between clubs are high, with the brawl between the Finks and Nomads at last week's Cooly Rocks On festival the latest in a long run of violence. The two clubs insist there is no issue between the gangs, only "personal rivalries". A series of recent tattoo parlour fire bombings and an alleged drug-fuelled rampage have added to the outlaw friction. Senior police sources say the Mongols, sworn international enemies of the Hells Angels, have established a temporary base at Carrara, the heart of Rebels territory. The Rebels claim to be Australia's largest and strongest outlaw motorcycle gang and will not welcome any attempt to push into their turf, police said. Their clubhouse is based in Lawrence Drive, Nerang, close to Mongol-owned business interests. "The Mongols are a serious bike club," police said. "Look at their history. This club means business." Outlaw sources estimate the Mongols have about 70 patched members in Australia, with the NSW Central Coast being the club's stronghold. The Mongols MC website claims the club has several chapters in NSW, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Their push into the Coast coincides with moves to have the Finks declared a criminal organisation. It will be heard in the Supreme Court in October. The Gold Coast Bulletin forwarded the images to police bikie squad Taskforce Hydra, which refused to go into the Mongols' public presence for "operational reasons". The Mongol push into the Gold Coast follows the Hells Angels' move into Burleigh after years of aborted attempts. The Angels' low-key base in Lemana Lane, Burleigh, and other business interests were firebombed, but they have otherwise gone unchallenged. Neighbours said gang members were quiet and kept to themselves. It is believed previous efforts by the club to break into Australia had failed. "They have tried to push into a number of cities without much luck," outlaw sources said. "They seem to get a few members and then they go nowhere. They aren't much of a force in Australia, especially when you consider the size of the clubs in Australia." However, police fear the bitter enmity between the Mongols and Hells Angels could increase friction. "The Mongols are sworn enemies of the Hells Angels. In the US the club has a shoot-on-sight policy for any Hells Angels," police said. Violence between the two international clubs erupted at a casino in Nevada in 2002 in circumstances eerily similar to the Ballroom Blitz fracas on the Gold Coast in 2006 between the Hells Angels and Finks. The confrontation in Laughlin, Nevada, left three bikers dead and prompted a massive crackdown in the US. Mongols claim on their website they have received "massive support" in Australia. "We as a club have gone back to the true basic values of what a motorcycle club is and should be and that reflects on our brotherhood that we have with our support, love and respect for one another and for our passion of motorcycles is unheard of," the website states. "Mongols MC Australia would like to thank you for visiting our website and for your support and welcome you to the Mongol nation."
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