Motorcycle gangs moving in on Dutch pubs, restaurants

The members of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs are increasingly meeting in pubs and restaurants in the Netherlands, Zwolle mayor Henk Jan Meijer said to newspaper AD. According to him, this is due to the closing of clubhouses.

Meijer is chairman of a national consultative group that is working to address the problem of motorcycle gangs in the Netherlands. The group is made up of representatives from, among others, the Public Prosecutor, tax investigative authority FIOD, police and local authorities.

"Exact figures are difficult to give, but the gangs are clearly manifesting in the hospitality industry", Meijer said to AD. According to him, as the current policy focuses on closing clubhouses, the local chapters of motorcycle clubs are looking for other meeting places. "We see that the chapters operate more fluidly. They are looking for a temporary location and then end up in restaurants."

The anti-motorcycle gang group is now working on ways in which to help the hospitality industry keep motorcycle gangs out.