Founded | 2007 |
---|---|
Founded by | Allan Sarkis |
Founding location | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Years active | 2007-2012 |
Territory | Sydney |
Ethnicity | Arabs (mostly Lebanese) Pacific Islanders and Punjabis |
Membership (est.) | Unknown |
Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, arms dealing, extortion, prostitution, money laundering, drive-by shootings, armed robbery, murder, assault, kidnapping |
Allies | Parra Boyz (Asesinoz MC) [1] |
Rivals | Bandidos, Comancheros and Hells Angels |
Notorious is a former gang that was based in Sydney, Australia. They claimed to be an outlaw motorcycle club; however, not all members ride motorcycles. A large percentage of its membership consisted of petty criminals, with no real history of bikers among their ranks. Its emblem features a skull with a turban brandishing twin pistols and the words "Original Gangster" beneath it, along with the motto "Only the dead see the end of war". [2] Labeled as one of Australia's most dangerous gangs, [3] they had been feuding with larger and well-known motorcycle gangs including the Hells Angels and the Bandidos. It was thought that as of March 2012 the gang no longer existed as an organised structure after being dismantled by a police operation arresting key members [4] and with other members choosing to quit the gang life. [5] This served to reinforce claims by established MCs that Notorious wasn't a genuine club.
Established in 2007, Notorious was formed by senior members and associates of the Nomads motorcycle gang, after the Parramatta Nomads branch was disbanded. [6] The newly formed gang, founded by Alan Sarkis, then started to recruit youth of Middle Eastern background and aligned itself with street gangs to boost its numbers to gain supremacy over rival gangs. [1]
The exact number of Notorious members is unknown to police but sources claim the gang has up to 7000 active members. [7] Its members are sometimes called "Nike bikies", for wearing expensive Nike running shoes ( Nike Air Max and Nike TNs[ clarification needed] usually the footwear of choice), fashionable T-shirts and being clean shaven, in contrast to the traditional bikie image of dirty jackets, leather boots and beards. [2]
Police have named John Ibrahim, a celebrity nightclub entrepreneur and his three brothers Sam, Fadi and Michael Ibrahim as senior members of Notorious. [8] Allan Sarkis has been named as the president of Notorious but police believe Sam Ibrahim formed the gang and is the driving force behind it, Ibrahim denies creating Notorious but admits knowing its members. [9]
Allan Sarkis, President of Notorious, refutes that the club is involved in organised crime and denies knowledge of a feud with other gangs. He claims the club has a very strict policy on drugs, even though Notorious members as young as 14 have been charged with possession and drugs supply. [6] [10] In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Sarkis stated "Linking us to drugs, or the drug trade, is way out of line. We want to be acknowledged and respected as a motorcycle club, not as gangsters." [10]
Founded | 2007 |
---|---|
Founded by | Allan Sarkis |
Founding location | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Years active | 2007-2012 |
Territory | Sydney |
Ethnicity | Arabs (mostly Lebanese) Pacific Islanders and Punjabis |
Membership (est.) | Unknown |
Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, arms dealing, extortion, prostitution, money laundering, drive-by shootings, armed robbery, murder, assault, kidnapping |
Allies | Parra Boyz (Asesinoz MC) [1] |
Rivals | Bandidos, Comancheros and Hells Angels |
Notorious is a former gang that was based in Sydney, Australia. They claimed to be an outlaw motorcycle club; however, not all members ride motorcycles. A large percentage of its membership consisted of petty criminals, with no real history of bikers among their ranks. Its emblem features a skull with a turban brandishing twin pistols and the words "Original Gangster" beneath it, along with the motto "Only the dead see the end of war". [2] Labeled as one of Australia's most dangerous gangs, [3] they had been feuding with larger and well-known motorcycle gangs including the Hells Angels and the Bandidos. It was thought that as of March 2012 the gang no longer existed as an organised structure after being dismantled by a police operation arresting key members [4] and with other members choosing to quit the gang life. [5] This served to reinforce claims by established MCs that Notorious wasn't a genuine club.
Established in 2007, Notorious was formed by senior members and associates of the Nomads motorcycle gang, after the Parramatta Nomads branch was disbanded. [6] The newly formed gang, founded by Alan Sarkis, then started to recruit youth of Middle Eastern background and aligned itself with street gangs to boost its numbers to gain supremacy over rival gangs. [1]
The exact number of Notorious members is unknown to police but sources claim the gang has up to 7000 active members. [7] Its members are sometimes called "Nike bikies", for wearing expensive Nike running shoes ( Nike Air Max and Nike TNs[ clarification needed] usually the footwear of choice), fashionable T-shirts and being clean shaven, in contrast to the traditional bikie image of dirty jackets, leather boots and beards. [2]
Police have named John Ibrahim, a celebrity nightclub entrepreneur and his three brothers Sam, Fadi and Michael Ibrahim as senior members of Notorious. [8] Allan Sarkis has been named as the president of Notorious but police believe Sam Ibrahim formed the gang and is the driving force behind it, Ibrahim denies creating Notorious but admits knowing its members. [9]
Allan Sarkis, President of Notorious, refutes that the club is involved in organised crime and denies knowledge of a feud with other gangs. He claims the club has a very strict policy on drugs, even though Notorious members as young as 14 have been charged with possession and drugs supply. [6] [10] In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Sarkis stated "Linking us to drugs, or the drug trade, is way out of line. We want to be acknowledged and respected as a motorcycle club, not as gangsters." [10]