Hand grenade left in Bandidos member's garden
A hand grenade was found in the garden of a home on Aan de Linde in Nieuwstadt on Wednesday afternoon. The home in question belongs to Harrie Ramakers, president of the Sittard chapter of outlaw motorcycle gang Bandidos, NU.nl reports.
Defense's explosive ordinance disposal team disassembled and removed the grenade from the garden. Mayor Jos Hessles of Echt-Susteren, which covers Nieuwstadt, decided to implement an emergency ordinance on the street. For the coming month, passersby on Aan de Linde can be searched as a preventative measure, the street will be guarded, and camera surveillance was installed. Traffic inhibiting measures will also be implemented on the street.
Ramakers' home was also the target of an attack in 2014. After two explosions at the home, Mayor Hessels placed the house on lockdown for three months and implemented traffic inhibiting measures and camera surveillance. A court later ruled that Hessels was not allowed to do that, according to the newspaper.
On Tuesday the court of appeal in Den Bosch ruled that individual chapters of the Bandidos can continue to exist. The Public Prosecutor called for a complete ban on the outlaw motorcycle gang, but the court only partially complied. The national organization was banned, but local chapters are not covered by the ban.
