Underbelly

20 November 2009, 16:27

For most of this decade, a loose association of colourful identities known to outsiders as the Carlton Crew was Melbourne’s dominant underworld syndicate. They kept a low profile, but knew how to mix in good society and how to keep firm control on the power they had.

Then – suddenly – there was competition. A new and highly lucrative amphetamine market exploded around the party-drug scene. Tony Mokbel and Carl Williams were the principal makers and suppliers.

With sudden wealth came a desire for status and power.

All the major players had loving children and wives (and more than the odd mistress), they all dressed well (except Williams) and they all invested in clean, stylish, reputable enterprises. And for a short time everyone co-existed, albeit uneasily.

But it couldn’t last.

Before long, a valuable “pill press” was impounded after a fluke police raid. Accusations flew everywhere, shots were fired, and the fuse was lit for what became known as the Melbourne Gangland Wars.

As the wars escalated and public alarm grew, the Victoria Police established the special Task Force Purana to show the underworld exactly who did run this city. But with no one willing to say anything on or off the record their brief was incredibly difficult. Increasingly they had to rely on unconventional tactics, highly sophisticated surveillance and sheer fearless, hard work.

Finally, by 2005, almost all the criminals were either in jail, convicted, or dead. The death toll stood at 33 in one of the bloodiest crime wars in the western world.

Melbourne’s underworld past
The infamous gangland wars
The Purana Task Force
Underbelly

Melbourne’s underworld past
Beneath Melbourne’s gracious European-style façade has often dwelt a more sinister side at odds with the city’s outward serenity.  Since it was founded in 1835, in tandem with its majestic Victorian architecture, sweeping gardens and sporting achievements, Melbourne has also seen more than its fare share of criminal activity. From famous gangsters such as 1920s' Squizzy Taylor to 1950s' standover king, Freddie “The Frog” Harrison, Melbourne has also been home to some of Australia’s most notorious criminals. Their exploits have served as ready fodder for the tabloids and simultaneously fascinated and repelled the city’s law-abiding public.

The infamous gangland wars
But nothing in Melbourne’s often scandalous past has come close to the violent, bloody and frequently incomprehensible gangland wars which erupted in 1995 and continued until the arrest of Carl Williams, the would-be king of Melbourne’s underworld, in 2004.

Over nine years, an increasingly shocked city could do little other than follow the count of bodies as one murder after another dominated the headlines – some 33 slayings in total. Despite the best efforts of the police, the deaths continued to escalate, often with no seeming pattern or obvious motive. Police initially treated each crime on an individual basis, although it was obvious to them that somehow most of these crimes were connected.

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The Purana Task Force
Frustrated by the lack of results, police involved with the investigations began lobbying for a task force and in May 2003 the Rimer Task Group, soon to be renamed Purana, was formed. In October 2003, with the body count steadily rising, the taskforce was enlarged to a small army of 53 officers.

Initially, politicians, self-styled media experts and cynics within the force, gave Purana little chance of infiltrating the underworld’s code of silence. But Purana was ultimately to confound its critics.

Finally, by 2005, almost all the criminals were either in jail, convicted, or dead.

Underbelly
Underbelly is the dramatization of the war that raged between the underworld and the Purana Task Force. Based on the book Leadbelly: Inside Australia's Underworld, by The Age journalists John Silvester and Andrew Rule, the series explores an incredible array of stories that cover the breadth of human emotions, played out in a society that recognised no boundaries and worshipped at the altar of power and greed.

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Last updated: 03 August 2010, 16:00