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1200 police officers are deployed in the raid.
Image: dpa
The German police are carrying out one of the largest operations against rocker crime against the "Hells Angels". Around 1200 officers have been deployed in several cities since early this morning.
Police in western Germany are carrying out a large-scale raid against the "Hells Angels" rocker group. According to the Ministry of the Interior of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1200 officers have been deployed in 28 cities. The authorities had previously banned the "Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Leverkusen".
According to the ministry, this is one of the largest operations to combat rocker crime in the history of Germany. More than 50 properties have been searched since the early hours of the morning. Special forces have also been deployed. The investigation concerns, among other things, the suspicion of forming and being a member of a criminal organization.
Since early this morning, raids have been carried out on the homes and business premises of association members and supporters in various West German cities. In Hilden, for example, a Hells Angels clubhouse was searched.
Masked and armed police officers could be seen at the scene. In addition to the search for evidence, the police are also looking to secure assets during the large-scale operation. In an earlier raid against the rockers, motorcycles and cash were confiscated, among other things.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, other "Hells Angels" branches ("chapters") had already been banned in recent years. As the newspaper "Neue Westfälische" reported a few days ago, the "Hells Angels" last had 29 chapters in NRW.
With 469 members, the club had recently grown considerably - partly due to defections from the hostile "Bandidos". This made the "Hells Angels" the largest rocker group in the German state in terms of members - ahead of the "Freeway Riders" with 403 members in 37 chapters.
28.04.2026, 07:38
