In June 2021, two prominent members of the Finks motorcycle club were arrested and faced charges in connection with a fire incident at a tattoo parlor in Blacktown.
Charlie Barakat and Jack Baum, both prominent and high ranking members of the Finks, were apprehended by detectives from the Raptor Squad who conducted raids on their residences in northwest Sydney in November of the same year.
Barakat was taken into custody at his Castle Hill property, while Baum was arrested at his Box Hill home. The charges leveled against them included knowingly and recklessly directing a criminal group to aid in criminal activities, as well as causing property damage through the use of fire. Detectives uncovered compelling evidence on Barakat's phone that implicated him as a senior member of the Finks' Castle Hill chapter
The evidence revealed numerous instances where Barakat instructed fellow bikies or their associates to engage in illegal acts, such as drug trafficking and carrying out violent acts. These activities were carried out with the aim of elevating the Finks to become the most notorious motorcycle club in Australia.
