latest move to crack down on bikie gangs follows police raids of various club headquarters in Nowra, Albion Park, Batemans Bay and Kiama Downs

Lake Illawarra police are investigating alleged breaches of new laws which ban outlaw motorcycle gang members wearing their club colours into pubs and clubs.Licensed premises across the Illawarra have begun working with police to make it a condition of entry to ban clothing or visible tattoos with bikie gang symbols, logos, names or colours.Sergeant Gary Keevers emphasised the new conditions of entry were not about banning people, only the clothing or other symbols representing the gangs."For nearly six months now, police have advised a number of motorcycle clubs of the pending entry conditions and the reasons for those conditions," he said. "Some hotel staff have even offered persons T-shirts to wear while they were on the premises."An escalation in gang rivalry, particularly in Sydney, was behind the move, Sgt Keevers said."Police are monitoring the Kiama local government area in respect of a particular motorcycle club," he said."We continually get community and liquor industry complaints about the behaviour of some gangs, with people indicating fear and a feeling of intimidation."The latest move to crack down on bikie gangs follows police raids of various club headquarters in Nowra, Albion Park, Batemans Bay and Kiama Downs last year.Members of the Rebels motorcycle gang were later charged with offences including operating an unlicensed premises, possessing illegal gaming machines and breaching a noise abatement order and were fined $15,900.

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