Bikie brawl breaks out in Woden club restaurant

Police are seeking witnesses to a bikie gang brawl that broke out in a busy restaurant of a Woden club last month.

On 18 January, more than a dozen bikie gang members were involved in the melee inside the unnamed club as patrons, including young children, were eating nearby. Police have arrested six men involved in the incident, who have been charged with affray and released on strict bail conditions. The men will face the ACT Magistrates Court at a later date.

Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said the gang members who were involved in the brawl were known to police but would not reveal which gangs were involved so as not to “sensationalise” the bikie gangs. He said the violent brawl did not involve any weapons but left the patrons fearing for their lives.

ACT Policing’s Taskforce Nemesis is seeking to identify at least another six men involved in the altercation.

When asked why ACT Policing had not notified the public about the incident earlier, Detective Superintendent Moller said police didn’t want to jeopardise the investigation.

“As part of our ongoing investigation, we are looking to get all the witnesses that we can,” Detective Superintendent Moller said. “Over a dozen people were involved, at the moment we have arrested six so we are trying to identify witnesses who may help us identify other people.

“We are looking for witnesses that saw the incident. I’m really looking for the effect that this incident had on our witnesses.

“This investigation has been going on for some time and we didn’t want to jeopardise [it] by going out to the media too early.”

The latest incident comes after police revealed a fourth bikie gang had formed, with the Satudarah joining the Rebels, the Comancheros and the Nomads with chapters in the ACT, less than a year after the Finks tried and failed to establish an ACT chapter last year.

It is feared the arrival of Satudarah in the ACT could renew the turf war between the rival gangs, after a violent bikie attack at an Oaks Estate home left a man seriously injured on 10 January.

Police arrested a 30-year-old male, believed to be the president of the ACT Satudurah chapter on 25 January and a 58-year-old man on 31 January.

Cars were also set alight and shots fired into a Kambah home in a targeted bikie attack on 4 February.