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THE Mongol Empire has begun its invasion of gangland Australia.

Considered by US authorities to be "most violent and dangerous biker gang in the USA", the Mongol Motorcycle Club has arrived in Australia and immediately set up chapters in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia

And police motorcycle gang investigators have told news.com.au the Mongols are likely to become the ruling outlaw force in the country.

"Mongol bikers engage in drug trafficking, gun running, assaults, thefts, intimidation, and extortion," Detective Steve Cook, a Missouri, US police officer and motorcycle gang expert said.

While an Australian police officer who has been investigating outlaw bikie gangs for more than a decade said Mongols were known for "torture, murder, drugs, guns, explosives".

"Their reputation for violence and criminality is well deserved," he said. "And don't believe all the PR they might say about how they're just men who love their bikes and have a fight now and again, but collect toys for kids at Christmas.

"They are criminals.

"They are one per centers. They deal in methamphetamines, and to a lesser extent ecstasy and cannabis.

"They are into extortion big time, fraud and involved in places that are on the knife edge of criminality, like strip clubs."

The "instant" arrival of the Mongols as a new force among Australia's 40-plus bikie clubs is the result of a "patch over" of the former Finks Motorcycle Club, ahead of a court challenge on November 15 to outlaw the Finks under tough new Queensland anti-bike laws.

But the two police investigators, who spoke exclusively with news.com.au about the Mongols, said the patch over was no mere name change.

"They are now under the rule of the gang's mother chapter, the Mongols in the US," the police investigator said.

"We are gathering intelligence so we can be ready for when it begins ... beatings, stabbings, shootings and arson, whatever happens."

So who are the Mongols and what are their rules?

NAME

Also called the Mongol Nation or Mongol Brotherhood, their name comes from the vast 12th century empire formed by the Asian warlord said to have killed more people than anyone else in history, Genghis Khan.

THE CLUB

Began more than 40 years ago in California as a result of the Hells Angels gang ban on Hispanic members, the Mongols have spread across the US, although their mostly Latino membership is concentrated heavily on the West Coast. The Mongols have chapters in Mexico, Norway, Spain, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, and now Australia.

COLOURS AND STATUS

Like all outlaw gangs, or "one per centers", the Mongols wear the three-piece patch which is central to the outlaw gang ethos and jealously guarded, to the extent gangs will attack non-outlaw bike groups who "dare" to wear the three-piece, which consists of the "top rocker" with the club's name, "bottom rocker" with the club chapter location and the central club emblem.

In 2011, fellow one per center club, the Nomads, threatened social bikers club Ulysses during a rally ride to Canberra within ultimatum to remove their three rocker patches. The one per center status of outlaw clubs represents the legend they are the absolute minority of people on motor bikes who are "bad".

MOTTO, REPUTATION AND TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

"Respect Few, Fear None" is the Mongols' byword and they have established a widespread and fearless criminal enterprise in which they enforce their core business - drug dealing, money laundering, robbery and in particular motorcycle theft, extortion, firearms violations and murder.

US law enforcement authorities say the Mongols are the "most violent and dangerous" bikie gang in the country, perhaps the world.

ENEMIES AND FRIENDS

Sworn enemies of the Hells Angels, and despising of the Angels' hatred for Hispanics, Native Americans and African Americans (who are refused membership), the Mongols have a "shoot on sight" policy against the Angels.

Their allies among other outlaw bikie gangs include the Sons of Silence, the Outlaws, the Bandidos and the Finks, who share their deadly rivalry with the Hells Angels.

STATUS OF WOMEN

Women cannot become members and do not rank even in second place, "but more like third or fourth place" in status, police investigators told news.com.au. The Mongols are one of the outlaw clubs which like their women to advertise their status as the "property" of individual members. Group sex is tolerated, although it has become rarer among older club members.

MONGOL MEMBERS

The Mongols have a more violent culture because of their pattern of recruiting from street gangs which bring with them a more bloodthirsty "revenge" culture.

While membership has moved from the once compulsory bike (usually Harley Davidson, or at least V-twin engine motorcycle) riding, mostly bearded men to include clean cut younger members who may not even ride bikes, police said "the culture is shifting".

"It will be interesting to see what happens in the Mongols, because there are divisions emerging between the older bikies, many of whom are from Anglo backgrounds, and the younger ones, who are more ethnically diverse," the investigator said.

THE MONGOLS IN AUSTRALIA

With an estimated 90 per cent of the Finks repatching as Mongols, the club may almost be at the same strength as the Hells Angels, which has between 300 and 400 members in Australia.

Although the Rebels club is Australia's largest, with about 1000 members, the Mongols are now like the Angels, a club with strong global connections, and more prone to crime and violence.

State governments had already introduced tough new legislation to counter fears suburban Australia is under increasing risk from bikie gangs and their appetite for drugs, violence and gun running.

The emergence of the Mongols onto the scene has police worried, even though lawyers for bikie groups claimed the news laws were "against human rights" and an "overreaction".

Queensland lawyer, Michael Bosscher, who represents the Bandidos, said most bikies were "fathers and grandfathers with jobs".

He said new laws which threatened the ability for bikies to gain bail while on charges and to sentence them to extra prison time of up to 25 years were an assault on the individuals' human rights.

Barrister Wayne Baffsy of the United Motorcycle Council of Australia also said the new anti-bikie gang laws were against the Australian constitution, and police had exaggerated the danger of so-called outlaw motorcycle clubs in this country.

"Many of them have no smoking, no drinking and no drug laws in their clubhouses and they are into physical fitness," Mr Baffsy said.

However, US detective Steve Cook, warned against the community or justice authorities being complacent about the Mongols.

Founder of the Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators, Mr Cook is one of the few international law enforcement officers with a working knowledge of the bikie gang scene in Australia.

"They love hiding behind these images that they are just a group of guys who just want to ride their motorcycles, the whole brotherhood thing," he said. "Don't buy it. They are in it for ego, status and money from criminal activity.

"They are violent and anti-social and will threaten, intimidate and mistreat the general public.

"And they are selfish and childish. What kind of grown man likes to call himself Pig Pen or Tank and wear patches and a costume?
"They turn it on for the media and then they go out and shoot someone and an innocent person gets hurt."

The Australian bikie gang investigator said the community had every reason to fear the Mongols and advised people - and especially women - not to be taken in by the "romantic" view bikies "love to present".

"It's all PR, the ride of bikies with the noise and the line up of men in uniform," he said. "It's meant to impress, just like a military procession.

"Don't be fooled by that, or by the statistics you might hear from lawyers about how 'little' crime is committed by bikies.

"They hide behind the fact there is gross under reporting of their criminal activity. There's a code of silence among members. You don't assist police and you say as little as possible.

"And cases don't get to court, or go nowhere once they do because they intimidate witnesses.

"People are too scared to give evidence because they fear [the bikies] will burn their houses and shoot their kids."

Continue the conversation on Twitter @newscomauHQ | @candacesutton1

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