September 6, 2007 - 2:37PM

Police warned TV's Chaser crew their profile "would not necessarily protect them'' when 11 crew members were arrested after a stunt in the APEC security area today.

Chas Licciardello, Chaser executive producer Julian Morrow and nine of their team are now in custody at Surry Hills police station, after being arrested for breaching the APEC restricted zone.

The motorcade, branded with the Canadian flag, is understood to have passed through at least one police checkpoint in the declared zone.

The vehicle was pulled over near the corner of Bridge and Macquarie Streets.

Police confirmed 11 people were arrested and the APEC Investigation Squad is investigating alleged breaches of the APEC legislation.

A police statement said the show's producers were earlier this week urged to consider the ramification of stunts during APEC.

"The program was further told any perceived threat to security would be dealt with as a threat, and their profile would not necessarily protect them."

No charges were brought when the team dressed up as a police horse yesterday.


Chaser team member Chris Taylor told smh.com.au that the motorcade comprised "three cars, a couple of motorbikes, and a lot of crew".

"It was a motorcade trying to get into the exclusion zone," he said.

The motorcade is understood to have passed through at least one police checkpoint in the declared zone.

It is believed police pulled the vehicles over near the corner of Bridge and Macquarie streets, after Licciardello emerged from one of the cars dressed as Osama Bin Laden.

Chaser crew members were initially detained in their cars while "police on the ground'' waited for special units to arrive, Taylor said.

Riot squad police formed a cordon around a Corrective Services truck where Morrow, Licciardello and about ten crew and extras were detained.

The Chaser convoy had been dressed up to look like an official Canadian motorcade, with Canadian flags attached to the cars and "Canada'' signs visible in the front windscreen.

"No particular reason we chose Canada," said Taylor. "We just thought they'd be a country who the cops wouldn't scrutinise too closely, and who feasibly would only have three cars in their motorcade - as opposed to the 20 or so gas guzzlers that Bush has brought with him."

The vehicles in the motorcade were hired - two were black "SUVs" imported from the US, and the other was a regular car.

Police superintendent Ken McKay confirmed the pair had been arrested for breaching the restricted zone.

The arrests had been made using new powers available under the APEC Act, he said.

Police Media were preparing a statement on the incident.

Earlier this morning, US President George Bush's motorcade swept through the city to Darling Harbour.

The NSW Minister for Transport, John Watkins, warned Sydneysiders that most of the disruptions due to motorcades were yet to come.

"Between 3pm and 7.30pm today, there will be 92 motorcade movements around the city," he said.

Between 4pm and 7.30pm there would be motorcades from the airport for delegations from Canada, Vietnam and the director-general of APEC.