Dustin Martin’s biker uncle has been arrested and faces deportation from Australia over alleged links to organised crime

The uncle of Richmond superstar Dustin Martin has been arrested and faces deportation from Australia to New Zealand.

Dean Martin, 56, was the former national president of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang. He held senior positions within the company for more than a decade.

Martin, brother of Tigers champion Dustin’s late father Shane, was also in a relationship with former Greens senator Lidia Thorpe. There was public outcry when their relationship came to light two years ago.

According to the Herald Sun, Dean has no previous convictions, yet has been of interest to investigators from police organised crime units for some time.

His visa will reportedly be cancelled on character grounds.

Shane was deported to New Zealand in 2018 and was also a prominent member of the Rebels. He died three years later in Auckland while his son was playing in Melbourne.

Martin was arrested on Monday and is in Australian Border Force custody. The outlet reports that he previously held roles as president of the Rebels’ Victorian and Australian branches.

In 2022, Senator Thorpe revealed she had “briefly dated” Martin, raising concerns among officials as she had been on a joint parliamentary committee on law enforcement.

In 2013, Martin was in court for violating the liquor licence at Sunshine’s clubhouse on Fairbairn Road. He pleaded guilty and was fined but not convicted.

He also led a protest against what the group considered unfair treatment by the media and the federal government in 2016, arguing that members were being slandered as drug dealers and criminals.

Several motorcyclists and other criminals have been deported from Australia to New Zealand recently.