Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has to be extradited, elements of the criminal underworld could put aside political differences to wage a united battle

Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has to be extradited, elements of the criminal underworld could put aside political differences to wage a united battle against law and order.
Three senior lawmen with understanding of how local gangs operate, Wednesday said they believed such a situation was very possible. The cops requested that their names not be disclosed, as they were not authorised to speak to the Observer."We are not ruling out anything at this time," said one of the lawmen who, at the same time, warned that the police would not cower in fear in the face of any such assault.The other two cops, each with over 10 years' experience in the force, referred to the incident that occurred in 1998 when Donald 'Zeeks' Phipps, then PNP strongman from the Matthews Lane area, was first held by police, as evidence of a scenario that could be re-enacted.The cops recalled that over 1,000 angry, placard-bearing protesters converged on the Central Police Station in downtown Kingston where Zeeks was being held, shouting "Justice for Zeeks!" and demanding his release."The angry mob, some of them not PNP (People's National Party) supporters, protested for two days demanding that if Zeeks was not released, life would not return to normal," one of the senior lawmen recalled.The incident resulted in the death of one person and the injury of several others. Phipps was later brought onto a balcony where he was allowed to address his supporters, calling for calm from a police megaphone.The lawmen said they believed that the Zeeks incident would pale in comparison to what could take place in the case of 'Dudus', the Tivoli Gardens don."Right now, there is a strong belief that Tivoli Gardens is a 'stronghold' revered by gangs from all political corners," one of the senior officers suggested to the Observer.
Another member of the group shared the same view but believed that other gangs from across the island could get involved for other reasons."What you have to understand is that many of the criminals, because of 'assistance' that Tivoli may have provided for them in the past (in terms of equipment), might want to join hands and help to create diversions to draw the police attention away from the area," said the cop.National Security Minister Dwight Nelson has gone on record as saying that high-level police intelligence revealed that 268 gangs were operating throughout Jamaica.
He said Government was focusing on preparing strong anti-gang legislation that would target, infiltrate and dismantle criminal gangs.The legislation, Nelson said, would also identify and arrest members of criminal gangs; ensure long sentences for gang members; conduct a thorough historical and proactive investigation into the activities of gang members; and develop intelligence as to each member's association with and participation in gangs.

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the Hells Angels and the Comanchero - as the target for the first declaration.

the Hells Angels and the Comanchero - as the target for the first declaration.
Fifteen people have been charged over the brawl, including 12 members of the Comanchero and two Hells Angels.There are believed to be about 40 Hells Angels in NSW - but it is considered the most famous international outlaw motorcycle club. The Comanchero remain a local gang, with about 100 members in NSW. It was one of the gangs involved in the Milperra massacre in 1984.Only the Supreme Court can declare a club a criminal organisation, after an application by the police commissioner, which must also be advertised publicly.After a successful declaration police can apply to stop members associating with one another, and to seize assets of the declared club.
The government announced its plan for anti-bikie laws within days of the killing of Mr Zervas at the domestic terminal after a fight between members of two rival gangs. The laws were rushed through Parliament within weeks and later had to be amended because of concerns about how they would work.On the day the laws were passed police raided 31 properties linked to the Hells Angels and its members across Sydney, targeting its ''entire membership''.

South Australia was the first state to declare a bikie gang, the Finks, a criminal organisation last May. But in September its Supreme Court ruled that the laws were invalid. That decision will be reviewed by the High Court, but the state has continued to target the Rebels.The NSW government and police are keen to avoid having their attempts to declare the gangs criminal organisations defeated in the Supreme Court, or the legislation successfully challenged in the High Court.At least 13 officers and several lawyers have been preparing the application. The process involves gathering information to prove the targeted gang is involved in criminal activities.Initially the Government was aiming for the first application to be lodged before Christmas but it is understood legal concerns caused the delay.Laws allowing police to tap the phones of alleged members of a declared bikie gang were passed in the Federal Parliament last month.The legislation was criticised by lawyers and civil libertarians, who raised concerns it might not be restricted to bikie groups.After the introduction of the legislation, Sydney's bikie gangs hired a PR agency and formed their own lobby group, the United Motorcycle Council.
The bikie violence and drive-by shootings prevalent in Sydney in late 2008 have also since abated.A police spokeswoman said last night that police could not comment on the timing of a declaration or the group for whom it might be sought.

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