More than 1,000 police officers carried out coordinated operations in Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria and the Netherlands early this morning against an international money laundering network linked to members of the motorcycle gang "Hell's Angels".
Police in the western German city of Duisburg said several arrest warrants were expected to be executed as authorities sought to seize assets worth 48.6 million euros.
A police spokeswoman said the operation was targeting an international money laundering network as well as a criminal organization. According to DPA, the organization is the "Hell's Angels".
According to police, more than 100 properties are being searched and 71 people are under investigation.
The authorities said that the suspects include people responsible for the activities of a money laundering network in Germany and other European countries, as well as high-ranking members of the motorcycle gang. They are suspected of crimes including the creation of a criminal organization, extortion, organized fraud and money laundering. The investigation also covers alleged violations related to weapons, bodily harm and tax evasion.
A large-scale police operation involving special forces was carried out at the address of an influential member of the group in Duisburg.
The police said that most of the searches were carried out in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, while six properties were searched in other German states. Another seven properties were searched in Belgium, Bulgaria and the Netherlands.
The operation is being led by the Duisburg prosecutor's office, with the assistance of the state's financial crime office.
According to the newspaper "Bild" The investigation has been ongoing for more than four years and began after a shooting in Duisburg in May 2022. More than 100 people were involved in a clash between bikers and members of a Turkish-Lebanese family group.