POLICE have found commercial grade explosives during raids targeting outlaw motorbike gangs, gun dealing and drug trafficking on the Border.
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About 50 officers searched 11 properties targeting the Gypsy Jokers and Black Uhlans on Tuesday.
Echo Taskforce Detective Acting Inspector Stuart Bailey said an explosive called Senatel was allegedly found at a factory in Chisholm Court, Wodonga, which resulted in the bomb squad and an arson chemist being called in from Melbourne.
Nearby buildings had to be evacuated as a safety precaution.
Five people were arrested during in the raids in connection to drug and steroid possession.
A handgun, two longarms, a taser and other controlled weapons, along with ice, amphetamine, cannabis and steroids were seized.
The Gypsy Jokers president was one of those arrested and the gang’s clubhouse in Kendall Street one of the properties raided.
Ten of the warrants were in Wodonga and one in Albury.
Detective Acting Inspector Bailey said three of those arrested were linked to the Jokers and two linked to the Uhlans.
Police had been investigating since September.
“We’ve gained a lot of intelligence as well today and we’ll share that with the local investigators here to continue to investigate outlaw motorcycle gang activities in the division,” he said.
“If there’s any criminality linked to any of these outlaw motorcycle gangs, we’ll follow that to the end of the state if we need.
“Today has been an example of that.”
He hoped the raids would impact drug crime in the area and did not rule out further arrests.