More than 1,000 police officers conducted raids across Germany and other European countries on Wednesday, targeting a money laundering network linked to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.
The operation, led by authorities in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, involved searches of over 100 properties, including six in Berlin, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bavaria, as well as seven in Belgium, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands. Police stated the raids aimed to dismantle an international money laundering ring and a criminal organization, with the Hells Angels identified as the primary target. According to investigators, 71 suspects—including high-ranking members of the group—face allegations of forming a criminal association, extortion, fraud, money laundering, weapons offenses, assault, and tax evasion.
Authorities also sought to execute multiple arrest warrants and seize assets totaling €48.6 million. The investigation, which has spanned over four years, reportedly originated from a 2022 shootout in Duisburg involving Hells Angels members and a Turkish-Lebanese clan. The Duisburg Public Prosecutor’s Office and the North Rhine-Westphalia Financial Crime Unit are leading the probe.
