Four arrested in Wodonga, Barnawartha over violent Finks bikie incidents

Jarrad Searby, 37, has been charged with blackmail, drug trafficking and possession, burglary, and committing an indictable offence on bail.

A Wodonga man, 30, faces charges of blackmail, extortion, weapon possession, handling stolen goods, drug possession, breaching bail and committing an indictable offence on bail.

Police said ice and GHB were seized during Friday's raids.

EARLIER: Police have arrested four people in Wodonga and Barnawartha as part of an investigation into a series of violent incidents linked to the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

Officers, including Wodonga detectives, anti-bikie Echo Taskforce members, and officers from the VIPER Taskforce, raided four properties on Friday morning.

Police seized drugs, knuckledusters and a stolen bike during the raids.

Four people, including two Barnawartha men aged 37 and 42, a 39-year-old Barnawartha woman, and a 30-year-old Wodonga man, were taken into custody.

The 37-year-old Barnawartha man is Jarrad Searby, who is a Finks member and far-right figure.

Wodonga man James Melbourne, 30, was previously arrested.

They are being interviewed by police on Friday afternoon.

"Today's warrants follow a number of incidents in the Wodonga area over the last fortnight believed to be linked to the Finks OMCG," a police spokeswoman said.

"This includes an incident on Thursday, 1 June where a 30-year-old Wodonga man attended a McCrohan Court address.

"The man, who is also a patched member of the Finks OMCG, became involved in an altercation with the 28-year-old male resident of the property.

"It's believed the resident struck the 30-year-old man in the head with a blunt object during the altercation."

The 30-year-old man, James Melbourne, later took himself to hospital with a serious head injury.

A 28-year-old man was then targeted outside his McCrohan Court property on Monday this week.

Two men approached the 28-year-old victim outside the property about 6am.

The 28-year-old was assaulted and struck in the upper body with a metal bar and took himself to hospital.

He suffered facial injuries during the incident.

Melbourne was arrested by police on Wednesday and charged with aggravated burglary, extortion, burglary and committing an indictable offence on bail.

He appeared briefly in the Wodonga Magistrates Court following his arrest.

He did not apply for bail.

Melbourne, who has appeared in Finks video clips posted by Searby, will face the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on August 30.

"Police believed these incidents were all targeted," a spokesman said.

"The investigation into the incidents remains ongoing."

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