WA bikie arrested after trip east for gang funeral
Notorious West Australian bikie Troy Mercanti has been arrested after having allegedly attended a gang funeral in New South Wales and potentially breaching his post sentence supervision order.
Gang Crime Squad detectives arrested Mr Mercanti at his Karrinyup home on Tuesday and charged him over the alleged breaches.
Footage of the arrest shows Mr Mercanti, who has been in 14-day quarantine since his return, marched out of his house in handcuffs while wearing a face mask.
A WA Police spokesman said the 53-year-old had been charged with two counts of breaching a post sentence supervision order, was refused bail and was due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court later on Tuesday.
It was revealed earlier this month Mr Mercanti had flown interstate for the funeral of a patched member of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang, where he allegedly rode alongside 85 other members and visited licensed venues in breach of his parole conditions.
WA Police later admitted it was a mistake not to oppose an application that granted Mr Mercanti an exemption to his bail conditions so he could leave the state.
Premier Mark McGowan said last week he was "unimpressed" and an internal police investigation was under way to determine how Mr Mercanti was allowed back into WA while there was a hard border in place.
"He's not a desirable person and it shouldn't have happened," he said.
"The Police Commissioner has acknowledged that and apologised.
"Clearly he's not someone we think should be able to do those sorts of things, he's not someone who deserves that, but the mistake was made in the court and there's not much we can do about that now it's all been done."
with Jerrie Demasi