Tens of thousands of weapons seized by Spanish police and Europol [Video]

In an operation dubbed “Portu,” Spanish National Police, working with Europol, have seized more than 10,000 assault rifles, shells, anti-aerial machine guns, grenades and 400 howitzers.

Europol released video footage of the huge cache of weapons on Tuesday, seized in several joint raids in Bilbao, Cantabria and Gerona in January this year as part of the Europol-supported Operation Portu. Reportedly the size of the haul was so great, it took the police weeks to catalogue.

A statement from Europol said there was a “significant risk” of the arsenal of weapons "being acquired by organized crime groups and terrorists." As noted by RT, the weapons stash was enough to start a small war or coup.

Huge firearms depot seized during operation Portu with Spanish @policia now revealed https://t.co/HBeE5s8eLo #firearms #EU #arms pic.twitter.com/SzynWvbGs9

— Europol (@Europol) March 14, 2017

The investigation stemmed from the weapons used in the terrorist attack on a Jewish museum in Brussels in 2014. The latest stash of weapons contained deactivated firearms, largely purchased legally and later reactivated. They were ready to be repairs and put back into working order.

The National Police say they seized five people in the raids along with €80,000 ($85,000). The criminals were reportedly using a sports shop as a front for illegal firearms distribution. Police also found a workshop, used to reactivate the firearms, along with equipment to create forged certificates of reactivation.

Sources: Spanish National Police / RT

German Hells Angels raided by Spanish police in Mallorca

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.



To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355065

Spanish police detain owner of Nazi hate crime blog

On July 4, National Police agents arrested a 40-year-old man in Sabadell, Catalunya for running a blog able to publish ideas likely to cause discrimination, hatred and violence, on racist, anti-Semitic or ideological grounds.

The investigation started in the middle of November last year after agents detected the existence on the network of an online publication, participating in the national socialist ideology and strongly propagating the supremacy of the white race over all others. 

The man used his blog to disseminate ideas that can cause discrimination, hatred or violence against groups on ideological, racist and anti-Semitic grounds, taking advantage of the anonymity and speed of social networks.

There were more than one hundred weapons found in his home, including knives of different types and sizes, machetes, Samurai swords, axes, a cane stylet, ninja stars and daggers, baseball bats, mallets, American cuffs, wood, rubber and extendable tonfas, shackles, nunchakus (otherwise known as Japanese chain-sticks), and others.

Police also seized 3 revolvers, 4 guns and 1 air rifle, 40 cartridges of different calibers, self-defense sprays, Nazi-themed films and CDs, as well as 2 laptops, 3 hard drives and several mobile phones.

Research has been conducted by officials assigned to the Provincial Information Brigade of the Police Headquarters of Catalonia, in collaboration with the General Information Office, National Police.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/353912