Free Outlaws: Inside the Violent World of Biker Gangs by Tony Thompson Page B

from South America. But in line with the policies of most biker gangs, they refused to deal heroin.
    When it was time to strike, Det Supt Quick opted for a softly-softly approach at first to avoid arousing suspicion. One courier, known to be carrying £50,000 worth of cannabis resin in a hired car, was picked up in what was made out to be a regular traffic stop. As the man made his way along the motorway, a standard patrol car pulled him over on the pretext that he had been driving too close to the car in front. The nervous driver apologised profusely and the officers were just about to wave him on when one, making full use of his amateur dramatics skills, remarked that there seemed to be a ‘funny smell’ coming from the vehicle, which quickly led to the discovery of the stash.
    Operation Enmesh had been scheduled to reach its climax sometime in late June, but then the surveillance team keeping an eye on the bikers saw Link turn up.Warwickshire police were hot on their heels and threatening to come down to Cornwall to raid the Scorpio clubhouse themselves. Months of work were at risk. The Det Supt had no choice but to bring the operation forward and move in as quickly as possible.
    Teams of heavily armed police from five forces carried out a series of coordinated dawn swoops, arresting thirty-six in the West Country, fourteen in London, two in Manchester and one in Humberside. Copious amounts of cash and numerous weapons including guns, crossbows, machetes, a spiked ball and chain and Chinese throwing stars were recovered, along with bullet-proof vests and cocaine worth £100,000.
    Documents seized at the Scorpio clubhouse revealed that the gang had kept accurate records of their success and were every bit as tough and uncompromising with members who stepped out of line as the Angels. Minutes of the meetings showed that one member was subjected to a punishment beating for ‘drinking too much’ while others were fined for being absent or late without having a good excuse. Ever conscious of possible police surveillance, drug deals were never spoken about during meetings but were instead negotiated through a form of sign language, or written on paper, which was eaten or burned at the end of meetings (some clubs use chalkboards).
    The gang kept many of its drug stocks in well-hidden stashes: £20,000 worth of amphetamines was known to have been buried in Southway Woods, but a team of police and army engineers using dogs and metal detectors failed to find it.
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    Most of the Scorpio ended up on remand in Exmoor prison while the majority of the Pagans were taken to Shrewsbury. Boone, however, was initially taken to Winson Green in Birmingham where around fifty members of the Ratae and their supporters were being held.
    When the police officers escorting him there had tried to remove his patches, he objected in the strongest possible terms. ‘You’ll have to fight me for them,’ he said bitterly. ‘There’s no way I’m going to give them to you.’
    As they approached the prison, Boone tried to hide his fear. He knew full well that this was the place that all the Ratae would have been taken. It was the last place he wanted to be but at the same time his sense of machismo would not let him ask the police for any assistance. He was taken to the reception area to be signed over to the prison guards. At one point he happened to turn around, allowing the prison officer to see his back patch for the first time.
    ‘What the fuck is he doing here?’
    ‘It doesn’t matter mate. Just take him.’
    ‘Not in this jail we won’t. He’ll get fucking killed.’
    The police officers were desperate to get rid of him but the prison guards were equally adamant about not taking him on. Boone had already decided that if he was booked into the prison, the first thing he was going to do was to attack the largest Ratae he could see. He knew he would get more jail time because of it, but it had to be the wisest course of action. He