More than a dozen bikies face charges after police swooped on an outback gold ore heist involving a suburban home being used as a processing facility.

January 24, 2024

An outback bikie gold-ore ring has been smashed, along with an “idiotic” backyard processing facility that could have ended in catastrophe for the community.

Western Australian police charged 20 people and seized 30 tonnes of high-grade ore during the three-day sting, following a spate of ore thefts from mine sites across the Kalgoorlie region.

Police Minister Paul Papalia said the operation last week confirms “how little bikies care about the community”.

“It’s all about their greed and self-interest,” he said on Wednesday.

“The actions of those involved were selfish and idiotic.”

Mr Papalia said the “amateur” gold refining lab in a suburban home to extract the precious metal from the ore involved dangerous chemicals that could have had “catastrophic consequences” for the neighbours and the broader community.

Premier Roger Cook said the alleged organised crime operation involving an outlaw motorcycle gang was concerning.

“I’m really pleased that in this instance, (police) were able to get on top of that nefarious activity,” he said.

Investigators believe the gold ore was stolen to fund the purchase of illicit drugs, such as methylamphetamine, to sell in the community.

The alleged offenders face more than 55 charges, including possessing stolen or unlawfully obtained gold-bearing ore, possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of illicit drugs.

Gold stealing has been rife on the Kalgoorlie goldfields, 600km northeast of Perth, since it was discovered in the 1890s.

The problem was so widespread a Royal Commission was set up in 1906, resulting in the formation of a gold-stealing squad a year later.

It still exists and frequently patrols isolated gold mining operations and co-ordinated the operations that netted the alleged ore thieves.

WA is the country’s major gold producer, accounting for almost 70 per cent of total production worth more than $10 billion per year.

Australia is the second largest producer of gold in the world and is estimated to have the largest gold reserves, with 9500 tonnes or about 17 per cent of total global reserves, according to the Chamber of Minerals and Energy.