Minister pledges new biker gang offensive, aims for ban

The government is to make a new effort to have motorbike gangs such as the Hells Angels and Satudarah banned, justice minister Ard van der Steur has told MPs.

The public prosecution department made several efforts to ban biker gangs between 2007 and 2009 by arguing they were criminal organisations. However, every court case failed.

This time, officials will seek to use legislation which was used to ban the pro-paedophile organisation Martijn, by arguing that their existence is a threat to public order, the minister said.

Meanwhile, an official report on the recent police crackdown on biker gangs says they are being driven underground, the AD says on Tuesday.

Gang members are wearing less obvious jackets and emblems so they do not stand out as much, and have reduced their use of social media, the National Information and Expertise Centre said. In addition, in areas where local councils have closed down club houses, the gangs are moving to private homes, cafes and industrial estates

The police are also concerned that the gangs are increasingly using intermediaries to stay off the radar and that they are becoming more involved with local drugs criminals, the AD says.