Police raided eight tattoo parlours, including one in Merrylands recently as part of an operation targeting criminal activity.
The operation was also designed to explain upcoming regulatory requirements to operators.
The joint agency operation comprised officers from NSW Fair Trading, the Gangs Squad’s Strike Force Raptor and the Police Dog Unit, and was aimed at ensuring compliance with the new Tattoo Parlours Act 2012 and targeting any criminal activity.
View raw footage of the raids, supplied by NSW Police Media, below:
The tattoo parlours targeted were based in the Sydney CBD, Kings Cross, Newtown, West Ryde, Merrylands and Crows Nest areas.
Officers utilised new powers under the Act that allow them to enter tattoo parlours for the purpose of carrying out general drug detection using a police dog without a search warrant.
The owner of a Crows Nest tattoo parlour, a 28-year-old man, was served with three court attendance notices for the offences of possess prescribed restricted substance, goods in custody and possess non-firearm for discharging irritant. The charges relate to a car stop conducted by police last month. He is due to face Parramatta Local Court on 18 August 2012.
Two members of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang were spoken to outside a tattoo parlour at Newtown and issued warnings for consorting.
Health and hygiene issues were identified in a Sydney CBD tattoo parlour.
The weekend’s operation was also an opportunity to explain the new licensing requirements under the Act which will come into effect later this year.
Under the new regime, all tattoo parlour operators and individuals performing body art tattooing procedures will need to obtain a licence issued by NSW Fair Trading.
All licence applicants will have their finger and palm prints taken to confirm identity and will need to provide information on their close associates and employees.
All applications will be reviewed by the NSW Police Force, with the Commissioner of Police to make a determination on whether the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a licence or whether it would be contrary to the public interest for the licence to be granted.
If the Commissioner issues an adverse security determination the licence will not be granted.