News Service from House Harris

NSW: Bikie gangs, police preparing for more violence

SYDNEY, March 27 AAP - Sydney's bikie gangs are flying in reinforcements and police are braced for the prospect of more violence after a bikie's brother was bludgeoned to death at Sydney airport.

As police set up a 75-member taskforce, gangs are stockpiling weapons and explosives, and flying in support from interstate and overseas, a man with links to motorcycle gangs says.

The source, who spoke to ABC radio but declined to be recorded, said the recent bombing of a Hells Angels clubhouse in Sydney was only a test of bomb-making capabilities.

He also said gang members were laughing at Comanchero chief Mick Hawi's attempt to bring together gang bosses for peace talks.

Comanchero and Hells Angels gang members were were involved in a vicious brawl at Sydney Airport on Sunday in which Anthony Zervas, 29, was killed.

A funeral service is underway in Sydney for Mr Zervas, who was with his Hells Angel brother when he was fatally attacked at the domestic airport.

Four Comancheros have so far been charged with affray over the brawl.

On Friday, a fifth man, also believed to be a Comanchero, was also charged.

Amid the outbreak of gang violence, Mr Hawi has barred all his members from wearing their gang colours or riding their bikes until further notice, in a bid to ease public fears.

The ABC's source added that bikies had been stealing cars to use in a spate of drive-by shootings.

In one shooting incident last week, two males inside a western Sydney house were injured as six were sprayed with bullets.

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione will be greeting the 75 members of Strike Force Raptor, formed since the airport brawl, on Friday afternoon.

Setting up Raptor meant the police were "taking control" of what needed to be done to address bikie gang violence, State Crime Command boss David Hudson told Macquarie Radio.

"There are a number of issues surrounding outlaw motorcycle gangs and, basically, they are criminal enterprises," Assistant Commissioner Hudson said.

"We face problems in our investigations in that victims of crimes, and indeed witnesses of crimes from those groups, refuse to speak to us.

"The gangs over the last probably two years, and more visible at the airport at the weekend, have certainly crossed the line and it's up to us to push them back.

NSW Premier Nathan Rees has said he hopes to have a draft of new laws, which could make it illegal to be a bikie gang member, completed by next week.

But solicitor Lesly (Lesly) Randle - representing Mr Hawi, who was reported to have been at Sydney Airport during Sunday's brawl - told Fairfax Radio that police already had sufficient powers to control criminal groups but failed to use them at the airport.

"It's a face-saving exercise on their part for failing to stop what happened on Sunday," she said.

"It's a test on their part. The premier needs to win back the confidence of the public. From what I've heard ... the public don't have much confidence in the premier or the state at the moment."

Ms Randle said additional legislation was unnecessary.

"It appears that the agenda on the part of police is to use this as an exercise to get more power, when they have existing powers that would suffice," she said.