Five Rebels quizzed over Vic murder

Five members of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle club arrested in Victorian raids are being questioned over an Australia Day death.

Police tape

(AAP Image/Paul Miller)

Five outlaw motorcycle gang members have been arrested over a man's murder on Australia Day after raids on Rebels clubhouses and properties across Victoria.

A total of 13 people were arrested in the early morning raids targeting fortified clubhouses and residential homes with links to the Rebels.

Five men who are Rebels members and associates will be interviewed over the murder of 20-year-old Michael Ali Sleiman, who died after 15 people allegedly stormed a Deer Park house on January 26 and started a fight.

Four men, two of them Rebels bikies, have already been charged with Mr Sleiman's murder.

Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana said Tuesday's operation was to arrest a number of other members of the outlaw motorcycle gang that police believed were involved.

"It wasn't bikie on bikie - this was an act of a group of bikies who targeted another person that wasn't associated with outlaw motorcycle gangs," Mr Fontana told reporters.

The five being questioned over the murder are a 21-year-old from St Albans, a 17-year-old from Caroline Springs, a 27-year-old from Albanvale, a 24-year-old from Cairnlea and a 20-year-old from Deer Park.

Eight others were arrested over drugs and firearm offences, for breaching parole and for theft of motor car offences, police said.

Tuesday's raids involved around 300 Victoria Police, customs officials and Australian Federal Police and targeted 22 properties across Melbourne, Geelong and Traralgon.

Raided were seven Rebels clubhouses - in Sunshine, Dandenong, Geelong, Kilsyth, Sunbury, Travancore and Pakenham - as well as residential homes with links to Rebels members.

Drugs, firearms and suspected stolen goods were seized by authorities.

Police said a quantity of white powder, vials believed to contain steroids, ammunition, a firearm, a number of vehicles including a caravan and motorbike and a range of prohibited weapons were also seized.


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