POLICE have dismantled the Rebels outlaw bikie clubhouse and arrested five Tamworth members and associates in an unprecedented crackdown on the gang.

Backed by the Sydney-based gang squad Strike Force Raptor, local police stormed the Rebels Clubhouse, dismantling the East Tamworth building, and stripping it bare.

Raids were also carried out on three homes in Coledale and the wider Tamworth area before detectives homed in on men in Nundle, Westdale, Coledale and Tamworth.

“Our message today to those offenders and to any other person that chooses to partake in criminal activity associated with outlaw motorcycle gangs is strong and it is clear: police will not tolerate criminal activity such as this within our community and the terrible impact that has on members of our town,” Acting Oxley Superintendent Kylie Endemi said yesterday.

The strong show of force was all part of Strike Force Mewburn, a specialist operation established to investigate the supply of drugs across the Tamworth area last year.

“This is going to have a significant impact on the criminal activity that this outlaw motorcycle gang has chosen to partake in,” Acting Superintendent Endemi said.

Five members in total, including one man police will allege is the president of the Rebels Tamworth chapter, have spent the night in custody after they were refused bail.

The men are facing a string of charges including supplying a commercial amount of drugs, supplying on an ongoing basis, recruiting others to assist in criminal activity, possessing an illegal drug and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

“We have been investigating since July last year to target what we believe was drug supply offences within the Tamworth region,” Acting Superintendent Endemi said.

“We have seized some weapons, some of which are quite offensive.

“We have seized an amount of drugs and other investigative evidence will be part of the brief of evidence supplied to the court.”

The dismantling of the clubhouse, which has stood for many years in Macquarie St, took several hours as officers attached to Strike Force Raptor and the Police Rescue Squad tore down all the Rebels memorabilia and seized every item inside, loading it into a waiting hire van where it was taken to a police holding yard.

And police have warned the operation is not over, with further arrests expected.

“We know that the outlaw motorcycle gangs are operating in our communities, we know that,” 

Acting Superintendent Endemi said.

“Strike Force Raptor is dedicated to targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs not only in metropolitan Sydney but in country locations and we will continue to work with them to eliminate this element in our society that people just do not want.”