An unprecedented operation against the biker club Hells Angels took place in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Members of the group are suspected of serious crimes, including drug and arms trafficking, as well as extortion. During the raids, the leader of the Leverkusen chapter was arrested.
On Tuesday, April 28, the police of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia launched a large-scale operation against the notorious biker club Hells Angels, also known as "Angels of Hell." These raids covered 28 cities, including Cologne, Dortmund, Leverkusen, Solingen, Duisburg, Bochum, Oberhausen, and Bielefeld.
The operation involved 1,200 law enforcement officers, including special units, as confirmed by the state Ministry of the Interior in Düsseldorf.
Organized Crime, Drugs, and Weapons
From early morning, more than 50 locations were searched, including the residences of bikers. This operation has become one of the largest in the history of the federal state.
"We are looking for weapons, drugs, and money. In general, everything that the criminal world of organized crime can offer," said a representative of the Ministry of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia.
During the raids, property worth up to 2.5 million euros was seized, as well as weapons, which was reported to journalists in Düsseldorf by the state Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul. He noted that the investigation focuses on members of Hells Angels suspected of organized crime, drug trafficking, arms dealing, and extortion.
Particular attention was paid to the recently established chapter of the biker gang in Leverkusen, whose activities had been banned by the authorities even before the searches began.
Minister Reul also informed that there are 44 suspects in the Hells Angels case, aged between 21 and 59 years. The head of the Leverkusen chapter of Hells Angels was arrested based on a previously issued arrest warrant.
In his workshop, located in the city of Langenfeld near Düsseldorf, numerous Harley-Davidson motorcycles were discovered, and the police are currently identifying their owners. The minister also pointed out the presence of data on the commercial cultivation of plants for drug production.
The operation is being led by the Düsseldorf police in conjunction with the specialized prosecutor's office for combating organized crime in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Hells Angels: The Largest Club in the Region
Hells Angels is the largest biker club in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to the state criminal police office, referenced by the newspaper Neue Westfälische, the club has 29 chapters throughout the state.
The dpa agency reports that the total number of club members reaches 469.
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