Nineteen people have been arrested in a cross border campaign to tackle motorbike gang crime, police confirmed on Wednesday.

Some 400 police and other officials in Limburg, Belgium and Germany carried out raids on 30 locations, looking for weapons and drugs, broadcaster Nos reports.

Among those taken from their homes in the early hours of the morning is the leader and deputy leader of the Limburg branch of biker gang Bandidos.

There have been several incidents of gang-related violence since the Bandidos settled in Limburg in 2014, Nos says.

Justice minister Ard van der Steur visited the region last weekend and said he was looking into the legal option of banning motorbike gangs altogether.