An international law enforcement operation against organised crime focused on the activities of the Comanchero bikie gang in South Australia, police have revealed.
Operation Ironside resulted in a record number of arrests in South Australia in a single day for serious and organised offending.
Forty people were taken into custody after raids on more than 80 residential and business premises.
They have been charged with a range of offences from conspiracy to murder to drug and firearm trafficking and money laundering.
Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Harvey said the Comancheros were dangerous and a risk to the SA and wider Australian communities.
"A number of the arrests are office bearers or influential people within the OMCG," he said.
"We anticipate that the strike that was made will have a significant impact on the structure and its capacity to continue as a criminal enterprise."
But he said there was also no doubt the void would be filled and the approach of police would be "relentless".
During the operation in SA, police seized 90 kilograms of methamphetamine with a street value of $45 million.
They also found 50 litres of fantasy, 350 kilograms of cannabis, 10,000 ecstasy tablets and 30 illegal firearms.
Two clandestine drug labs were uncovered, including one capable of producing $25 million worth of methamphetamine each week.
Luxury cars worth a total of $3 million were seized, including a Maserati, two Lamborghinis and one Bentley, along with $1.9 million in cash.
Detectives also found jewellery, valuable watches and wine collections.
"We talking about a lifestyle bought and fuelled by crime," Mr Harvey said.
"They live the high life. They're sitting around pools drinking Martinis and laughing and scoffing at you and I.
"This should be a sound warning to them here and across Australia that police are looking all of the time."
Mr Harvey said police were not surprised by the amount of items seized in SA alone.
"We know the extent of organised crime. It's worth billion and billions of dollars," he said.
"Organised crime is all about violence, drugs and beating the system.
"So this is a big strike but not the first and not the last. We're here for the long run."
