Comancheros attempted to muscle into construction site, inquiry hears

The CFMEU inquiry has heard evidence from intelligence agencies that the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle gang tried to install union delegates at construction sites in Queensland. Senior Counsel Assisting Eddy Gisonda KC told the inquiry the Comancheros had already established their own construction industry companies in Victoria. What's next? The current block of hearings is set to run until tomorrow with another block beginning on Tuesday next week. Outlaw motorcycle gang the Comancheros tried to install union delegates at construction sites in Queensland and establish their own companies in the sector, an inquiry has heard. Today Queensland's Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU and misconduct in the construction industry heard Australia's intelligence agencies had received reports about the Comancheros in early May 2024. Senior Counsel Assisting Eddy Gisonda KC told the inquiry unnamed intelligence agencies had information the Comancheros had already installed union delegates on construction sites in Victoria. "The Comancheros had taken measures over the preceding 12 months to establish their own companies that could operate in the construction industry in Victoria, most particularly labour hire companies," he said. "Victorian members of the Comancheros had travelled to Queensland in the months prior to May 2024 with the aim of achieving those two objectives in the state of Queensland as well. "That is the installation of union delegates on construction sites in Queensland … and the establishment of their own linked companies operating in the construction industry in Queensland." He said the intelligence wasn't union, site or contractor specific, rather it was a "general commercial push" by the Comancheros. Flight and phone records tendered to the probe into the CFMEU and construction sector revealed Bemir Saracevic, Krstomir Bjelogrlic and Mark Ahern arrived in Brisbane on June 5, 2024. Mr Saracevic, known as Benji, was the former national president of the Comancheros and Mr Bjelogrlic was his business partner. Mr Ahern was a former treasurer for the gang. It's alleged they were picked up by Gary Samuel, the head of HOST, the company providing security to the site. BMD General Manager Rob Pickard told the inquiry Mr Samuel had told him the three men were simply social acquaintances from Victoria who had visited him and had no role with HOST. Mr Gisonda said there were allegations the worker targeted, Cody Raymond, had been passing on information about security at the site by the CFMEU during a drawn-out dispute between the union and contractor BMD. "The cost of this disruption was mounting up and they had very little options available to them," he said. Mr Gisonda told the inquiry it wasn't just the CFMEU that bikie gangs had targeted. He said companies with links to the Comancheros not only had enterprise agreements with the CFMEU in Victoria, but also the Australian Workers Union. One agreement, signed in April 2025 between FSA Kerbs and Placement Pty Ltd and the AWU, was signed by Mr Bjelorgrlic and witnessed by Mr Saracevic's partner, Dani Saracevic. Another company, Form Solutions Australia of which Dani Saracevic was the director, had signed an enterprise agreement with the CFMEU in Victoria in December 2023.