Netherlands prosecutors look to ban motorcycle gangs

By Janene Pieters on June 14, 2016 - 10:16
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Police investigation on Engergieweg in Rotterdam following a shootout between the Hell's Angels and Mongols, 7 Apr 2017 (Photo: Politie). (Police investigation on Engergieweg in Rotterdam following a shootout between the Hell's Angels and Mongols, 7 Apr 2017 (Photo: Politie))

The Public Prosecution Service in the Netherlands is preparing a lawsuit to ban one or more motorcycle gangs in the country, Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice said on Monday. He did not mention which clubs are involved, ANP reports.

According to Van der Steur, this is no easy task. He referred to a failed attempt by the Prosecutor to ban the Hell's Angels as a criminal organization a few years ago. The Prosecutor could not prove that all the members were criminals.

In this new attempt, the Public Prosecutor will use a civil action to ban the motorcycle gangs for disrupting public order. According to the Volkskrant, a similar method was used to ban pedophile association Martijn in 2014. 

Van der Steur added that a ban will not completely solve the problem of violent crimes that surround outlaw motorcycle gangs, but will make it more difficult for gangs to act in club clothes in public and traffic. According to him, a ban is only one of the tools in tackling this problem.

The Security and Justice Minister promised to act against outlaw motorcycle gangs after a mass shootout between rival gangs in Rotterdam in April. In that particular brawl the Mongols and Hell's Angels were involved. It is unclear whether the Prosecutor is targeting these two gang in the new lawsuit.

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