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Seven people have been arrested and tens of thousands of dollars' worth of luxury goods have been seized as police crackdown on fake disaster relief claims made by bikie gangs.

In August last year, detectives from the Raptor Squad established Strike Force Fireant to investigate outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) members illegally obtaining bushfire and flood claims through state government grant schemes.

On Thursday, police raided a number of properties across Greater Sydney.

READ MORE: Former Bandidos sergeant-at-arms arrested, $373k cash seized following Gold Coast raids

Officers attended properties at Beecroft, North Richmond, Seven Hills, Shalvey, Werrington County and Wilberforce as part of investigations into the fraudulent claims.

During the raids, a number of illegal items were found and seized.

The items include a replica Glock pistol, a poker machine, thousands in cash, steroids, cannabis, more than 100 pairs of designer shoes valued at $30,000, luxury bags and other accessories valued at a further $30,000.

Mobile phones, electronic storage devices and documents were also seized, all of which will undergo further examination.

READ MORE: Two more arrests in Gold Coast bikie murder case

During the operation seven people – six men and one woman – were arrested and taken to local police stations.

Among those arrested include a 23-year-old Beecroft man, a 23-year-old North Richmond man, a 30-year-old Shalvey man, a 27-year-old Werrington County man and a 28-year-old Wilberforce man, all of whom are known associates of the Rebels Motorcycle Club.

A 40-year-old North Richmond woman and 26-year-old Werrington County man were also arrested and charged.

They will all appear before courts.

Detective Superintendent Jason Weinstein said the arrests were a significant step in the fight against OMCGs.

READ MORE: Five members of Bandidos bikie gang arrested and charged with drug and firearm offences in northern NSW

"The state of NSW has endured an exceptionally difficult two years with the devastating effects of the bushfires, floods and the pandemic affecting everyone within our community," Det Supt Weinstein said.

"Police will allege in court that these individuals used these situations to their advantage to defraud the government of thousands of dollars that should have gone to those in need.

"Raptor Squad will continue to target anyone in the community actively engaging in these types of criminal activity – particularly members and associates of outlaw motorcycle gangs that set out to break the law."

READ MORE: Seven more charged over bikie Shane Bowden's murder

In December 2020, officers executed 11 search warrants across Greater Sydney and arrested nine people under similar circumstances – six men and three women. All nine were charged and remain before the courts

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The lockdown of 11 Local Government Areas in Queensland's south-east will ease as scheduled at 4pm today after the state recorded nine new cases of locally-acquired COVID-19.

Seven of the new cases are linked to the original cluster. One is a new case located on the Gold Coast and the remaining case is a taxi driver in Cairns.

As a result, Cairns will be plunged into a snap three-day lockdown from this afternoon.

READ MORE: Victoria records 11 new COVID-19 cases, none of whom were in isolation while infectious

The lockdown for the remaining 11 LGAs in Queensland's south-east will be lifted at 4pm today but some restrictions will remain for 14 days.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk praised residents across the state on her first day back on the job after home quarantine.

"Queensland has done a mighty job, especially those 11 LGA 's that have been in this lockdown situation," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"The lockdown will end in those 11 LGAs, but some restrictions must stay in place for the next two weeks…we are not out of the woods."

For the next two weeks all high school students and staff will be required to wear masks on while on premises.

Up to 10 guests in the home will be allowed, and residents can now visit loved ones in aged care.

READ MORE: COVID 'establishing itself in Australia'

Businesses must now operate with the one person per four metre square rule.

Wedding and funerals will be allowed to go ahead with a maximum capacity of 20 people, but community sport will still be barred for the next two weeks.

Stadiums and allocated seating ticketed events only be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity.

Ms Palaszczuk said masks will remain mandatory.

"If you are out walking by yourself or with your household you do not need to wear it, but as all other times you do," she said.

"When you are in the workplace. When you are going to cafes and restaurants, except if you are seated."

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said the announcement is an "excellent result".

"An excellent result for South East Queensland, one that I truly wasn't expecting," she said.

"It is a fantastic response, to see eight days in, after we had those very large numbers of early cases, to see it under control so beautifully."

READ MORE: Soldier 'lucky to be alive' after Queensland crocodile attack

Dr Young said that one of the state's new cases – a person from the gold coast – may be a false-positive or historic case.

"One member of that family came forward and got tested and got a positive result, but with a very high CT value, meaning not a lot of virus," she said.

"So we repeated it, and it was negative, and we repeated it again, and it was negative. We have tested everyone else and the family multiple times… and all of that is negative.

"But we do have that positive result, so it is really, really important today that anybody down in the Gold Coast with any symptoms at all, please come forward and get tested."

Dr Young repeated her plea for people to come forward for vaccinations.

"Please, could people get vaccinated," she said.

"We have reached the one million mark in Queensland, in terms of the number of vaccines that Queensland Health has distributed, and 2.5 million across the state from GPs who are doing the most brilliant job, but I need more."

Although there were seven people in isolation while infectious, Dr Young highlighted the fact that there are more and more school aged children testing positive.

"The interesting thing though is we are seeing more students still become positive, and that shows that although Delta spreads more quickly, it still has the longer incubation period," she said.

"That is why it's so critical that these 11,000 people don't think, 'Oh, well, I'm coming towards the end of my incubation period. Then it is no longer a worry'.

"It is. It is absolutely critical that all of these people just remain in home quarantine until they complete the 14 days."

READ MORE: Police find woman who allegedly escaped Gold Coast hotel quarantine

https://twitter.com/qldhealthnews/status/1424162275062022149

Cairns plunged into three-day lockdown

Ms Palaszczuk said that due to the discovery of another case in Cairns – a taxi driver who was infectious in the community for 10 days – the region will now head into a three-day lockdown.

"This discovery of a positive case in Cairns is something that we were not expecting, and we really need the residence of Cairns to come forward with any symptoms and get tested," she said.

"For the next three days, Cairns and Yarrabah will go into a lockdown. It is essentially a lockdown that the 11 LGAs went to, but they will be allowed to have up to two visitors to come and visit their homes.

"We need more testing in Cairns. I am very concerned. Dr Young is very concerned. We need to get on top of this very, very quickly."

Ms Palaszczuk said she will shortly be speaking with the prime minister and is hoping to have Cairns classified as a hotspot.

She said she has already has discussions with the the state's treasurer to release disaster funding.

Hotel quarantine escapee found and arrested

Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said that more than 100 fines were handed down in the last day for non compliance with health orders, and two were arrested, including a woman who escaped hotel quarantine.

"We did issue 119 penalty infringement notices across the board yesterday, most of which, 106, related to people not abiding by the lockdown requirements," he said.

"Two arrests, one including the young woman who escaped from hotel quarantine on the Gold Coast.

"She was located in Caboolture with the assistance of the community there, we thanked them for that, they identified her and kept track of her so that we were able to taken into custody.

"She will remain in our custody until she completes her quarantine. And she will face other serious charges before the court."

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