THE president of the Tamworth arm of the Rebels Outlaw Motor Cycle Gang, along with four associates, will remain behind bars on serious drug supply charges.
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Police claim Brent Murray was at the top of the alleged drug syndicate as the gang’s local president, supplying ice, cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis across the Tamworth area since July last year.
Detectives will also allege they have evidence he was manufacturing amphetamine when he came under notice on July 1 last year up until March 1.
If he is convicted, the charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Murray faced Tamworth Local Court yesterday morning for the first time following his arrest on Tuesday afternoon as part of a co-ordinated strike by Oxley detectives, police and Strike Force Raptor.
He is facing seven charges including using a carriage service to threaten serious harm, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime, and illegal drug manufacture and supply offences.
Murray made no application for bail and it was formally refused, along with that of co-accused Gregory Alan McBride, who will also stay in custody.
McBride is charged with the commercial supply of ice over a four-month period, supplying an indictable quantity of ice, possessing a prohibited weapon without a permit and cultivating cannabis plant between January and February this year.
The men were charged after an operation, code-named Strike Force Mewburn, which was set up last year to investigate the supply of drugs in the Tamworth area.
Mark Hicks, an alleged associate of the Rebels gang, is charged with seven offences and did not apply for bail yesterday morning.
Two other co-accused – Vincent Maxwell Duffy, who is facing charges of supplying and possessing cannabis, and Bradley James O’Connor, charged with supplying amphetamine and ice and dealing with the proceeds of crime – failed in their bid for bail.
Both were identified as unacceptable risks and were denied release by Magistrate Mark Richardson yesterday after spending the night in custody.
All five men were taken to Tamworth Correctional Centre yesterday afternoon, where they will remain until the case returns to court later this month.
The operation has dismantled the Rebels Clubhouse in East Tamworth.
It was raided and stripped bare on Tuesday morning.
Police have not ruled out further arrests as part of the strike force.
