In what has been described as a major blow to Mallorca's powerful German mafia, Spanish police have raided the Mallorcan chapter of the Hell's Angels Motorbike Club and made several arrests, including Frank Hanebuth, president of the Hannover chapter.
"Operation Casablanca" is a combined effort by 200
Spanish National Police and Civil Guard officers, working in conjunction
with Interpol, Europol and Eurojust.
As part of this operation, 25 arrests have been made in a total of 31
raids on the island of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain.
These raids included the arrest of 49-year-old German Frank Armin
Hanebuth, president of the Hannover chapter and one of the most
important Hells Angels figures in Europe.
Hanebuth is considered by German police to be one of Germany's most
dangerous men and was found to be living in a villa in Lloret de
Vistalegre on the island.
Local newspaper Diario de Mallorca reports that one local police officer was also apparently arrested in raids, capping off a three-year investigation.
The operation targeted alleged extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, as well as the running of prostitution rings by the Mallorca chapter of the notorious motorbike club.
Reportedly most of the club's members moved to Mallorca from Germany in 2009, when authorities in that country cracked down on the group.n total 25 people were detained and among items seized in the latest raid were a cropped shotgun, older weapons, detonating pistols, a revolver, a pistol, an electric defense weapon, 10 cars, four high-end motorcycles, close to €50,000 in cash, as well as many jewels and drugs, including cocaine, marijuana and anabolic steroids.
Among other things, as part of their prostitution business on Mallorca the group was said to have systematically performed cosmetic surgery on prostitutes.
According to ABC, this was done "to make the product more attractive." These operations were apparently run by the Youssafi brothers, who allegedly 'captured' women, through women already working for them.
The prostitutes were only apparently given a day off when they had earned a specific sum for their "work."
Several Hells Angels members who were arrested on Tuesday were also wanted for homicide and kidnapping in Germany. Wikipedia describes The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) as "a worldwide "one-percenter" motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles and is considered an organized crime syndicate by the US Department of Justice."
The club is said to have its origins in California after the Second World War and the group is said to have from 2,000 to 2,500 members worldwide.
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