Rotterdam police chief wants outright ban on motorcycle gangs

The National Police has had enough of motorcycle gangs like the Hell's Angels, Mongols, No Surrender, Satudarah and Bandidos. They should be banned as soon as possible, Rotterdam police chief Frank Paauw said in an interview with the Telegraaf on Tuesday.

Last week 23 members of the Hell's Angels and Mongols were arrested after a shootout in the crowded lobby of a Rotterdam hotel.

The debate on whether or not a motorcycle gang can be banned has been going on for years. According to Paauw, the situation worsened to such an extent that it demands immediate attention.

"The incidents keep coming. Also in searches after the battle on Thursday, we again found plenty of weapons, drugs, large sums of money and even a razor-sharp knife disguised as a credit card. Why do you need that kind of stuff if you're pretending to be a proper social club", Paauw said.