44 recognized outlaw gangs.
Six major clubs controlling the game.
Thousands of members spread across a continent.
Welcome to Australia’s big six. Hell’s Angels, Comancherro, Mongols, Bandidos, and Rebels. But here’s what’s changed.
The bearded bikers of the past are disappearing. In their place, a new breed of criminal.
Younger, more diverse, less interested in motorcycles, and more interested in money. 2026 marks a turning point in Australian organized crime.
Territory lines are being redrawn. Old alliances are crumbling. And what emerges next will define the underworld for decades.
Stay with me because the map is changing and understanding who controls what could save your life.
Before we break down current territories, you need to understand the seismic shifts that reshaped the Australian Bicki landscape over the past 5 years.
Because what you think you know about these clubs is probably outdated. The big six power rankings.
Let’s start with the hierarchy. As of 2026, Australia’s big six outlaw motorcycle gangs represent the dominant players in the criminal underworld.
Though their relative power and influence vary dramatically across different states and territories, the Rebels remain the largest club by membership numbers.
At their peak, they had around 70 chapters and over 1,000 members and associates nationwide.
29 chapters currently operate across Australia, making them the most geographically distributed organization with presence in every state and territory.
However, size doesn’t automatically translate to power or operational effectiveness. Recent fractures have significantly weakened their dominance, creating opportunities for rivals to move into territories the rebels once controlled without serious challenge.
The Hell’s Angels bring international prestige and connections that smaller Australian-only clubs cannot match. With approximately 250 members across 14 chapters in Australia, they’re smaller in raw numbers than the Rebels, but carry the weight of being the world’s largest and most famous outlaw biker club.
6,000 members worldwide. 592 charters operating across 66 countries. Australian chapters benefit from this global network which provides expertise in sophisticated criminal operations, international drug trafficking connections and financial resources that dwarf domestic organizations.
The Common Cerero has evolved from a traditional motorcycle club founded in Sydney in 1968 into a sophisticated criminal enterprise that more closely resembles a transnational organized crime syndicate [music] than a Beaky gang.
Heavy recruitment from Middle Eastern communities has fundamentally changed their demographic composition and operational methods.
They’re now as much an organized crime network as they are a motorcycle club with members who’ve never owned bikes but join for access to criminal opportunities.
The Mongols, originally from California and founded in 1969, established their Australian presence in recent years [snorts] and have been aggressively expanding territory, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales.
Their American connections provide access to international drug markets and weapons trafficking networks. They’ve proven willing to use extreme violence to claim territory, leading to ongoing conflicts with established clubs who underestimated their ambition and capabilities.
The Bandidos maintain a strong international connection to their Texas roots where the club was founded in 1966.
They operate with a hierarchical structure and strict membership requirements that reflect their American origins.
You must be male and own at least one Harley-Davidson [music] or approved Americanmade motorcycle to join, a requirement that maintains traditional biker culture, even as other clubs abandon such standards.
This selectivity means slower growth but more cohesive membership. The Phoenix, founded in Adelaide in 1969, have a strong historical presence in South Australia and Victoria with chapters spreading into other states over the decades.
They maintain traditional biker culture while engaging in sophisticated criminal enterprises, including drug trafficking, extortion, and money laundering.
Their South Australian roots give them deep [music] community connections in Adelaide that newer clubs cannot easily replicate.
Beyond the Big Six, 38 other recognized outlaw gangs operate in Australia according to law enforcement intelligence.
These include the Gypsy Jokers who maintain strong presence in Western Australia. The Black Oands operating primarily in Queensland and New South Wales.
Highway 61, Life and Death MC, Descendants MC, and many others. Some are small regional clubs controlling specific towns or neighborhoods.
Others are international organizations with limited Australian presence, but connections to global criminal networks. New South Wales, the battlefield.
NS dollars remains Australia’s most contested state for bicki territory control. Sydney alone hosts chapters from virtually every major club, creating a complex patchwork of overlapping territories and ongoing conflicts.
The state’s large population, wealthy suburbs, active drug markets, and major port facilities make it the most valuable prize in Australian organized crime.
The Hell’s Angels have significantly expanded their NSDO presence over the past 2 years. Following the July 2025 takeover of Gladiators territory in the Hunter region, they announced formation of a Hunter crew chapter.
This strategic move gave them control of a crucial corridor between Sydney and Queensland along the Pacific Highway, a major drug trafficking route.
The Hunter region’s ports at Newcastle provide access to international shipping, while its relative lack of law enforcement resources compared to Sydney makes it ideal for criminal operations.
The December 2025 Raptor Squad raids that [music] arrested 12 Hell’s Angels members across Sydney suburbs including Pymont, Wentworth Point, Northme, Emu Heights, Blacktown, Burwood, Razerback, Amberil, and New Town reveal the geographic spread of their presence across metropolitan Sydney.
These locations span from wealthy inner city waterfront suburbs to workingclass outer western suburbs and rural southern highlands, demonstrating the club’s reach across diverse communities.
The commonro maintains strong presence in western Sydney and southwestern suburbs, areas with large Middle Eastern populations that provide their primary recruitment base.
Police identify them [music] as heavily involved in drug trafficking with connections to Middle Eastern organized crime networks that control importation of [music] cocaine and methamphetamine through Sydney’s ports.
Recent Raptor Squad operations in January 2026 targeted a 37-year-old Kamancho member in Liverpool over alleged supply of firearms and prohibited drugs worth $300,000 between June 2025 and January 2026, illustrating their continued criminal operations despite [music] law enforcement pressure.
The rebels have chapters scattered across New South Wales, but internal conflicts have significantly weakened [music] their position.
The mass exodus of 36 members in mid 2024 following disputes between national president Damen Vela and Western Australian boss Carl Labrook created vulnerabilities that rivals quickly exploited.
Former Rebels members who joined competing clubs brought insider knowledge of operations, territories, and weaknesses that their new organizations used to move into areas the rebels previously controlled.
The Mongols have been expanding aggressively in New South Wales, particularly targeting areas previously controlled [music] by weakened rivals.
Law enforcement reports indicate [music] they’re engaged in violent turf conflicts with the Comanche in southeastern Queensland that regularly spill over into northern New South Wales.
These conflicts involve shootings, assaults, and intimidation that have made some border communities reluctant to report crimes for fear of retaliation.
The Bandidos maintain a presence in the ACC and surrounding NSW regions, including Quanbean and the South Coast.
Police reports indicate they face increasing pressure from expanding Hell’s Angels and Mongols chapters that view Bandido’s territory as vulnerable to takeover.
The club’s traditional insistence on owning Harley-Davidson motorcycles limits their recruitment pool compared to clubs that have abandoned such requirements.
The suffered significant setbacks in New South Wales during 2025. November raids by Raptor squad charged nine alleged members over Hunter region firearm offenses, drug trafficking, and array charges.
This represented a major blow to their NSW operations with several senior members facing [music] lengthy prison sentences that will deplete the club’s leadership and operational [music] capacity for years.
NSA Dallas hosts approximately 15 to 20 Bicki club houses across the state. Though exact numbers fluctuate constantly as police seize properties under proceeds of crime legislation and clubs relocate to avoid attention.
The Raptor Squad’s aggressive tactics have made permanent clubouses more liability than asset, pushing some clubs toward using temporary meeting locations and encrypted communications [music] rather than maintaining fixed headquarters.
Victoria, the southern power base, Victoria, particularly Melbourne, remains a major bicky stronghold despite anti-gang legislation banning visible display of club colors in public spaces.
The state’s second largest population, wealthy suburbs, active drug markets, and port facilities at Melbourne make it nearly as valuable as NSW for criminal organizations.
The rebels historically dominated Victoria with their national headquarters located in the state. However, the July 2025 last harrah ride before the gang colors ban revealed underlying tensions.
About 200 bickies rode from the NSW border to Melbourne, representing both defiance of new laws and recognition that the old model of public displays was dying.
The ride drew massive media attention and heavy police presence with Raptor Squad and Victoria Police documenting [music] every participant for intelligence purposes.
The Hell’s Angels have multiple Melbourne chapters. Their Alfington and Thomastown clubous have been targets of police raids and in several cases firebombings from rivals.
These properties worth millions of dollars represent both criminal headquarters and real estate investments that provide legitimate income through rental of portions [music] not used for club activities.
The dual use of properties complicates law enforcement efforts to seize them as clubs argue they’re legitimate businesses entitled to protection.
The Mongols maintain significant Victorian presence, particularly in southeastern suburbs, including Dandong and Casey. They’ve engaged in violent conflicts with established clubs over territory and drug markets, including several shootings and assaults that have alarmed residents.
Their aggressive expansion strategy prioritizes claiming territory over maintaining low [music] profiles leading to increased law enforcement attention.
The Comanche operates in Melbourne’s [music] western suburbs including Sunshine and Footsay areas with diverse populations and active drug markets.
Their Victorian operations connect directly to NSW networks, creating interstate supply chains that distribute drugs throughout southeastern Australia.
The club’s evolution from traditional bikey gang to sophisticated criminal network is most evident in Victoria, [music] where many members have never owned motorcycles, but join for criminal opportunities.
The have strong presence in Melbourne [music] and outer areas like Cranborn West. Their Victorian clubhouse was raided in 2019 as part of an attempted murder investigation and later firebombed by rivals demonstrating the ongoing violence between clubs.
Despite these setbacks, they maintain active operations in the state, focusing on drug trafficking and extortion of legitimate businesses.
The Bandidos have Victorian chapters, but maintain lower profiles than larger clubs. They’re selective about recruitment and operations, [music] preferring steady criminal enterprise over high-profile conflicts that attract law enforcement attention.
This strategic approach has allowed them to operate with less disruption [music] than clubs engaged in public wars.
Regional Victorian cities like Wadonga near the NSW border seeks presence while other areas host smaller clubs.
The Biky gangs of Victoria maintain territorial control even as police pressure intensifies under anti-association laws and enhanced surveillance capabilities.
Victoria implemented some of Australia’s strictest anti-gang laws, including prohibition of wearing gang colors in public effective late 2025.
Enforcement began with warnings, [music] then escalated to arrests and fines. This legislation drives clubs further underground while also fragmenting visible operations, making it harder for police to track membership and activities through traditional surveillance.
Queensland, the drug highway. Queensland represents the gateway for drug importation routes from Asia and Pacific Islands.
Control of Queensland territory means access to distribution networks feeding the entire eastern seabboard, making it perhaps the most strategically valuable state for organized crime operations.
The Mongols have expanded aggressively in southeastern Queensland, leading to direct territorial conflict with the Kanchero.
Police reports indicate this turf war involves regular violent incidents, including shootings, stabbings, home invasions, and public confrontations that have terrified residents in affected suburbs.
Both clubs view control of Queensland as essential to their national operations. Justifying the risks of ongoing conflict.
The Common Chero maintains strong Queensland presence [music] despite Mongols pressure. They’ve invested heavily in establishing operations that connect to international supply networks [music] through Brisbane’s port facilities and Gold Coast’s proximity to Pacific Island nations.
The club’s Middle Eastern connections provide access to cocaine and heroin importation that smaller clubs cannot match.
The rebels have extensive Queensland chapters, historically making it their strongest state outside Victoria. However, the 2024 mass exodus affected Queensland operations significantly, creating opportunities for rivals.
Several Queensland chapters lost members to Hell’s Angels and Mongols, weakening their territorial control [music] and operational capacity.
The Bandidos have long established Queensland presence, particularly in regions along the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
They maintain relatively low profile while conducting steady criminal operations including drug trafficking, prostitution, and illegal gambling.
Their longevity in Queensland provides community connections and political influence that newer clubs lack. The Hell’s Angels have expanded into Queensland in recent years, establishing chapters that connect their NSW operations to northern markets.
Their international reputation helps [music] recruitment, attracting members who view the club’s global network as providing better criminal opportunities than Australian-only organizations.
Smaller clubs like the Finins also operate in Queensland, though they face pressure from larger organizations that view their territories as vulnerable.
The state’s vast distances between population centers mean territorial control requires significant resources that smaller clubs struggle to maintain.
Queensland’s geography creates unique challenges for both criminals and law enforcement. The vast distances [music] between Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Kairens, Townsville, and regional centers mean that clubs dominating Brisbane may have no presence in far northern regions.
This fragmentation allows smaller clubs to control isolated areas without facing competition from major organizations.
The state’s proximity to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Pacific nations makes it critical for drug importation operations.
Control of ports and coastal areas translates directly to criminal revenue measured in hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
The potential profits justify the violence and law enforcement attention that inevitably follow territorial conflicts.
South Australia historical heartland. South Australia, particularly Adelaide, is the birthplace of several Australian bicki clubs and maintains unique dynamics due to its smaller population and geographic isolation from eastern states.
The were founded in Adelaide in 1969 [music] and maintain their strongest presence in South Australia despite [music] expansion into other states.
Their historical roots provide community connections and political influence that clubs established elsewhere cannot easily replicate.
Many Adelaide residents have family connections to Finins members, creating networks of support and silence that frustrate law enforcement investigations.
The rebels have significant SA presence, competing with Fhinx for dominance. The rivalry between these clubs in Adelaide is intense and personal, dating back decades and involving family feuds that transcend organizational conflicts.
Violence between rebels and in Adelaide often stems from historical [music] grievances rather than current criminal competition.
The Comancherero has expanded into South Australia in recent years, bringing interstate connections and resources that disrupt established power dynamics.
Their arrival has been met with resistance from rebels and Fininss who view them as outsiders attempting to take over markets they’ve controlled for decades.
Smaller clubs also operate in SA, making it surprisingly complex despite the state’s smaller population.
The Descendants MC, Gypsy Jokers, and others maintain presence in specific suburbs and regional areas, creating a patchwork of territories that shifts as clubs expand and contract.
Recent incidents include the jailing of Hell’s Angels member Benjamin Tabar in South Australia for drug trafficking and firearms breaches, indicating their growing presence in the state.
The Hell’s Angels International reputation attracts South Australian criminals who view membership as providing opportunities beyond what local clubs offer.
Adelaide’s size means bicky conflicts are more personal and visible than in larger cities. Rivalries that might go unnoticed in Sydney or Melbourne make headlines in Adelaide, where residents often know the families involved.
This visibility creates pressure on politicians to respond with tough anti-gang legislation, which in turn pushes clubs to operate more covertly.
Western Australia, the isolated frontier. Western Australia’s geographic isolation from eastern states creates unique dynamics where WA clubs operate with significant autonomy from national leadership structures.
The rebels have major presence in WA, though the 2024 disputes centered on Western Australian boss Carl [music] Labbrook.
His conflict with national president Damian Vela triggered the mass exodus that weakened the club nationally.
The 36 members who left included many from WA chapters fundamentally reshaping the state’s bicki landscape.
The Kmanero has expanded into WA establishing operations that connect to international networks through Perth’s port facilities.
The club’s evolution into a transnational criminal organization is evident in WA, where they focus on sophisticated drug importation and money laundering rather than traditional bicki activities.
The Gypsy Jokers maintain strong WA presence, particularly in Perth and surrounding areas. They’re one of the few non-BI big six clubs with significant regional power, controlling territories and criminal markets that larger eastern clubs have been unable to penetrate.
Their longevity in WA dating to the club’s establishment in the state in 1969 provides deep community roots.
The Phoenix had strong Perth chapter that underwent dramatic changes, [music] including mass patching over to other clubs in late 2013 when members switched allegiance on mass.
This event significantly reduced but didn’t [music] eliminate their WA presence with remaining members rebuilding slowly.
The Bandidos operate in WA, focusing on steady criminal enterprise rather than high-profile expansion that would attract law enforcement attention.
Their traditional approach emphasizes long-term profitability over rapid growth. Perth’s isolation means supply chains operate differently than eastern states.
Drugs and weapons come through different routes, often from Southeast Asia rather than [music] Eastern Australia.
This creates opportunities for clubs that establish international connections, but also limits access to mainland Australian markets, reducing the strategic value of WA territory compared to eastern states.
The new breed, demographic transformation. Here’s what’s fundamentally changing the Australian Bicki landscape. The founding days of Australia’s 1% motorcycle clubs, a term adopted from American biker culture, claiming that 99% of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens, are gone.
The bearded bikers of the past are being replaced by a completely different demographic. According to reports from law enforcement agencies and investigative journalists who’ve infiltrated these organizations, the big six now include significant numbers of members who don’t fit the traditional profile of white workingclass men with beards, leather vests, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Middle Eastern Australians have been heavily recruited into the Comancho and other clubs. Some estimates suggest they now make up substantial portions of certain chapters, particularly in Western Sydney, where Middle Eastern communities are concentrated.
They bring connections to established Middle Eastern organized crime families, creating synergies between Bicki gangs and other criminal networks that previously operated separately.
These new members are demonstrabably less interested in motorcycle culture and more focused on criminal enterprise.
They see the clubs as business structures providing access to drug markets, money laundering operations, and protection from rivals rather than as brotherhood organizations bound by [music] tradition and loyalty.
They’re younger, more tech-savvy, and more willing to use extreme [music] violence without the restraint that traditional bickies often exercised.
Traditional bickies often followed unwritten rules about civilian casualties and unnecessary violence, viewing themselves as outlaws with a code of conduct.
The new breed operates with fewer restrictions, viewing violence as a business tool [music] to be used whenever strategically advantageous.
This shift has led to increased public casualties and more brazen attacks that alarm both communities and law enforcement.
This demographic shift has caused [music] significant internal tensions in some clubs. Old school members resent the changing culture and abandonment of traditions they view as essential to club identity.
New members view traditions as obstacles to profit maximization and dismiss complaints from older members as outdated thinking.
The result is clubs that look like beaky gangs from the outside but operate more like organized crime syndicates internally.
Conclusion. The territory map of 2026. As of early 2026, here’s the approximate territorial breakdown across Australia.
In New South Wales, the Hell’s Angels are expanding aggressively in Hunter and Northern regions.
The Command Chiro remains strong [music] in Western and southwestern Sydney. The Mongols push into contested areas previously controlled by weakened rivals.
The rebels maintain presence, but are significantly weakened. The are reduced after major police operations targeting their Hunter region operations in Victoria.
The rebels are historically dominant but declining rapidly. The Hell’s Angels maintain multiple chapters across Melbourne.
The Mongols are active in southeastern suburbs. The Comanche operates in western suburbs. The remain in Melbourne and regional areas.
In Queensland, fierce competition continues between Mongols and Comancho in southeast. The rebels maintain chapters throughout the state.
The Bandidos control Gold Coast operations. The Hell’s Angels establish northern operations. In South Australia, the Finest due to historical roots.
The rebels remain competitive. The commonerrow is expanding from interstate. The Hell’s Angels are establishing presence.
In Western Australia, the rebels are fractured after leadership disputes. The Comanche is expanding operations.
The Gypsy Jokers remain regionally strong. Various other clubs compete for control. In Tasmania, there is limited presence, primarily rebels with smaller clubs.
In Northern Territory, various clubs including rebels and Kmanero operate in Darwin area. This map is fluid and constantly changing.
Territory changes hands through violence, negotiation, or police disruption of operations. What’s controlled today may be contested tomorrow as clubs expand, contract, and fracture under internal [music] and external pressures.
The war for territory continues across Australia, fought in suburban streets and measured in power and criminal profits.
