Drugs, firearms, sword and crossbow were found by the police on a raid conducted on the outlawed Hell's Angels Australia motorcycle gang. The raids come in a backdrop of a number of incidents involving fire arms recently.

Victoria police issued sixty warrants at the clubhouse and residences of members of the Hell's Angels Australia motorcycle gang. At least 13 people have been arrested by the police in one of the largest efforts undertaken by them so far.

The police have found large amounts of explosive material, drugs, cash, stolen property and ammunition in the raids. The police were reportedly looking for military grade weapons like the AK-47, which are yet to be found.

More than 700 strong police force personnel were involved in the raids; the service men were from Crime Command, Special Operations Group, Bomb Response Unit, Dog Squad, Operations Response Unit, Airwing, Transit, Highway Patrol, Critical Incident Response Team and Transport Branch and Forensics.

Crime Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh also thanked the Australian Federal Police, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service for their assistance in the raids against the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang.

The Hell's Angels sergeant at arms Peter Hewat was one of the arrested, the 58 year old has been charged with drug possession, theft, possessing prohibited weapons and ammunition and use of threatening language.

No one was injured during the raids, according to the press release by the police. Peter Hewat had been remanded to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court. He was reportedly denied bail at an out-of-sessions court hearing in Melbourne.

Ms Walsh said that the efforts of the police in Victoria will have a national impact; she also said that the whole community should be outraged and that there should be no support for groups like the Hell's Angels and their criminal activity.

The strong police response in the form of raids comes just days after a shooting incident. A tattoo parlour at Dandenong was sprayed with bullets from either an AK-47 or M1 Carbine. Later two plastic petrol containers with shrapnel were thrown into Nitro Gym in Hallam.

The incidents were seen as part of a gang war involving members of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang and the rival Comancheros motorcycle gang. The police seem to be taking strong exception to the fact that fire arms are constantly being used.

The police are expected to continue the crackdown on Hell's Angels and similar motorcycle gangs.