Suspect biker was on other charges
Wednesday, 22 August 2007.
When Brendan George, the son of a NSW MP, was arrested in Sydney
last month for allegedly supplying drugs, it was trumpeted by
police as part of a statewide crackdown on 'outlaw motorcycle
gangs'.
But the arrest of the 32-year-old Lone Wolf member on other
amphetamine-related charges four months earlier was not made
public. Granted bail on condition he report to police three
times a week, he was released from Casino police station on
March 29 after his brother, Stuart, paid a $1000 surety.
George first appeared in court six weeks later, just before
the Police Commissioner, Ken Moroney, announced Operation Ranmore
would target outlaw motorcycle clubs, particularly the Nomads,
Comancheros, Bandidos and Rebels, which had been involved in
an alleged turf war for control of the Sydney nightclub drug
scene.
George did not appear in Lismore Local Court yesterday, excused
from a fourth court appearance on the Casino charges if legally
represented. His new Sydney lawyer, Mark Rumore, foreshadowed
that George would plead guilty to possessing amphetamines.
However, pending delivery of transcripts from intercepted telephone
calls, George would contest charges of supplying a trafficable
amount - 11 grams - of amphetamines and dealing with $3495 cash
suspected of being the proceeds of crime, the magistrate, Nicholas
Reimer, was told.
George's father, the anti-drug National Party Whip Thomas George,
issued a statement supporting his son after his arrest and appearance
in Liverpool Local Court on July 26 on charges of participating
in a criminal group and supplying a commercial quantity of a
prohibited drug.
Mr George is well-known to the head of the Richmond Area Command,
Superintendent Bruce Lyons, who told a local paper the same
day that while it was easy to make big headlines with arrests,
he could understand what the MP was going through.
Mr Lyons was unavailable for comment yesterday. But the Richmond
Area Command duty officer, Inspector Dave Driver, declined to
comment on matters before the court when asked whether police
were aware in March that Brendan George was a member of the
Lone Wolf club.
The club had been the target of Strikeforce Tangarra, set up
in May last year, which led a series of raids resulting at least
seven arrests around Lismore and Sydney last month, including
that of George and the club's president.
Another member, Peter James Hasrouny, 40, arrested in relation
to an arsenal of weapons allegedly found on his property at
Kunghur, near Murwillumbah, on August 8, is expected to apply
for bail in Lismore next week. He faces 16 charges, including
drugs and weapons counts.
George, who has no criminal history, was granted continuing
bail in Lismore until September 4.
This is despite George being in custody in Sydney pending his
next appearance at Liverpool Local Court on October 3.
http://www.ozbiker.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1031&Itemid=39
MP's son on drug charge
July 27, 2007
THE son of the NSW assistant speaker and Nationals MP, Thomas
George, was one of two alleged members of the Lone Wolf bikie
gang refused bail yesterday after facing court on serious drug
charges.
Brendan George, 32, was arrested early yesterday in Sydney's
west by gang squad detectives. He was later refused bail in
Liverpool Local Court.
He was charged with participating in a criminal group and supplying
a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
Mr George, member for Lismore and Nationals party whip, confirmed
in a statement that his son had been arrested on a "drug-related
charge". Mr George attended the bail hearing late yesterday
to support his son.
"It is not appropriate for me to comment on the details
of the case, other than to say my whole family and I love Brendan
dearly," he said in a statement.
The charges followed an investigation by Strike Force Tungarra
detectives, who stormed the Lone Wolf gang's clubhouse in Lismore
last week, the same day as raids in Sydney.
Police also arrested a 30-year-old man from Kurrajong, in Sydney's
north-west, after questioning him at Windsor police station.
He appeared in Blacktown Local Court.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/mps-son-on-drug-charge/2007/07/26/1185339167611.html
MP's son in bikie drug bust
July 26, 2007
THE son of a NSW Nationals MP was one of two alleged
members of the Lone Wolf bikie gang to face court today on illicit
drug supply charges.
Brendan George, the 32-year-old son of MP Thomas
George, was arrested this morning by Gang Squad detectives in
Liverpool, in Sydney's west.
Mr George, the member for Lismore and the party
whip, issued a statement this afternoon confirming his son's
arrest.
"It is not appropriate for me to comment
on the details of the case, other than to say my whole family
and I love Brendan dearly," Mr George said.
"I ask the media to respect our family's
privacy until the matter is resolved.
"I also want to reiterate that as a father
and a community leader, I have always and will continue to strongly
oppose illegal drugs."
George was refused police bail to appear in Liverpool
Local Court today on charges of participating in a criminal
group and supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
Local police also arrested a 30-year-old man from
Kurrajong, on Sydney's northwestern outskirts, after questioning
him at Windsor Police Station yesterday.
He was charged with four counts of supplying a
commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and various other drug
offences, dealing with property suspected of being the proceeds
of crime and participating in a criminal group.
The charges were laid as a result of ongoing inquiries
by Strike Force Tungarra detectives, who stormed the Lone Wolf
gang's club house in Lismore last week, the same day as premises
in Sydney were raided.
The raids followed a 14-month investigation into
the alleged involvement of Lone Wolf members and associates
in the supply and distribution of amphetamines and MDMA in the
northern rivers area.
The Lone Wolf gang is one of the smaller NSW bikie
groups, with about 150 members belonging to six chapters across
the state.
Brendan George is one of Thomas and Rhonda George's
three sons.
Mr George, whose electorate takes in the town
of Nimbin, used his inaugural speech to parliament in 1999 to
deal with the issue of drugs.
"I have developed a strong view that we need
to provide future generations with education immediately,"
he told the parliament eight years ago.
"Young people and their parents need to see
the consequences of drug abuse - they do not just want advice
that drugs are not good for them."
A spokesman for the Liverpool court said George
had been refused bail.
His matter was adjourned for mention on October
3 in the same court.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22138655-5001021,00.html
