Outlaw motorcycle gang activity spreading to Southeast Europe, Europol warns

Europol is leading a major project to help law enforcement agencies in the EU to combat this threat. Outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs) such as Bandidos and Hells Angels are already present throughout the European Union. Recently the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) significantly expanded its presence into Eastern Europe, Europol said.

“Over the last couple of years they have spearheaded an extremely rapid drive into Southeast Europe, particularly in Turkey and Albania. Those motorcycle riders who do not abide by the law refer to themselves as ‘one percenters’ (1%er). Most of these gang members adopt a multi-crime approach that includes racketeering and extortion, violent crimes such as homicide, grievous bodily harm and organised robbery, fraud and financial crime, as well as trafficking of firearms and explosives, trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation and drug trafficking,” Europol said.

Hells Angel’s members have been involved in the full range of organised crime activities, in particular, the production and distribution of cannabis and methamphetamine, and they have a solid position in the cocaine market.

“New alliances between outlaw motorcycle gangs mean that they get the capability and capacity (i.e. infrastructure, relationships, resources and experience) to manage drugs trafficking via South–East Europe using the ‘Balkan Route’, which sees Turkey as an anchor point and major staging area for onward transportation of hard drugs,” Europol said.

In establishing its territorial influence in Southeast Europe, Hells Angels have built close relationships with local motorcycle gangs in Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and they have established their own presence in Turkey. Additionally, a large number of former German Bandidos Motorcycle Club members of Turkish origin recently defected to the Hells Angels MC Turkey chapter.

In the race to secure the opportunities provided by the Southeast European markets, a turf war is a significant threat, based on previous increases in violence observed between rival gang members in other parts of Europe. The establishment of other international outlaw motorcycle gangs in Southeast Europe, where Hells Angels are already present, may also lead to violent disputes for superiority.

One of the most serious threats associated with outlaw motorcycle gangs is their tendency to use extreme violence, which is aggravated by their willingness to use firearms and other higher calibre weapons. Locally, they exploit and invest in legitimate business structures for a wide variety of purposes including money laundering and fraud, or as fronts for other illegal activities.

Authorities in Southeast Europe face an unfamiliar threat and Hells Angels are already using diverse strategies in their attempts to build close relationships with influential people and authorities in the region, as well as systematically trying to build a favourable public image through newspaper articles and TV appearances.

The lack of knowledge concerning the precise number of local outlaw motorcycle gangs, and the nature of their relationships with other gangs, represents an important intelligence gap that needs to be addressed by national authorities. Over 60 local motorcycle clubs, many of which display links to international outlaw motorcycle gangs, have been detected across South–East Europe and an effort to fill this intelligence gap would enable national law enforcement agencies to isolate specific gangs from those clubs that are comprised solely of motorcycle enthusiasts.

National competent authorities throughout Europe, particularly in the North West, are in a position to directly assist in response to this threat, for instance, by monitoring the travel movements of gang members to South–East Europe and informing local authorities.

“This rise in the growth of outlaw motorcycle gangs calls for an integrated approach to further enhance intelligence on the spread of the gangs’ criminal activities. Authorities in Southeast Europe can draw on a considerable range of experience and expertise at national and European levels to identify and disrupt these criminal networks,” Europol said.