The Norwegian police force’s
efforts to combat outlaw
motorcycle gangs, 2011 to 2015
National Police Directorate
December 2010
Design: RMgrafika
Number printed: 4,000
POD Publication no. 2010/15
ISBN: ISBN 978-82-8256-009-2
3
Table of Contents
Foreword
1Introduction
1.1
The working group
1.2 Structure of the report
4
4
4
2
The development of outlaw motorcycle gangs
2.1 Introduction: Which outlaw
motorcycle gangs require priority policing?
2.2 Hells Angels – motto: “When we do right nobody
remembers. When we do wrong nobody forgets.”
2.3 Bandidos – motto: “We are the people our parents
warned us about”
2.4 Outlaws – motto: “God Forgives, Outlaws Don’t – GFOD”
2.5 Coffin Cheaters MC
6
3
The police force’s efforts to combat outlaw
motorcycle groups
4
Outlaw motorcycle gangs in Norway today
4.1 Individual motivations for becoming members and
links between the members
4.2 The outlaw motorcycle gangs
4.2.1 Structure of the basic organisation
4.2.2 Club uniforms and what they say
4.2.3 How the clubs take care of their members
and supporters
4.2.4 In-house discipline within the clubs
4.2.5 The club members from a law-breaking perspective
4.2.6 The clubs’ income and outgoings
4.3 How outlaw motorcycle gangs function within society
4.3.1 Relationships to other, similar motorcycle groups
4.3.2 Relationship with the media and establishment of
“goodwill”
4.3.3 Age of the motorcycle gangs as an expression of the
criminal potential
4.4 Criminality inflicted on society by motorcycle gangs
4.5Summary
5
Overall threat
6
6
6
7
7
8
9
9
9
9
11
12
13
13
14
14
14
16
16
16
18
20
6
The police force’s strategic goals and initiatives
21
6.1 Analyses of motorcycle gangs
21
6.2 Regional collaboration
21
6.3 Continuation of the motorcycle manual developed by the
National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos)
21
6.4 Kripos as coordinator for collaboration regarding
motorcycle gangs
21
6.5 Police force collaboration with public and private bodies 21
6.6 Focus on opportunities and not limitations
when combating this type of crime
22
7
Evaluation of the report and crime-fighting efforts
The police force’s fight against criminal
motorcycle gangs is a continuation of
the action plan to combat outlaw motorcycle gangs prepared by the National
Police Directorate (POD) for 2003-2008.
Policing biker gangs has been and remains
a top priority. Despite the efforts of the
police force and society in general to
combat such groups, there has been a
substantial growth among motorcycle
gangs since they first were established in
Norway around the start of the 1990s.
Motorcycle gangs have now gained a solid
foothold on an international scale, and
the police force and society in general
are faced with major challenges in terms
of combating their criminal activities.
This strategic report has been compiled
to tie together and target the efforts of
the police force against outlaw motorcycle gangs. Analysis, intelligence work,
criminal prosecution, coordination and
development of expertise are some of the
keywords that will describe our efforts in
the years to come.
In the main the report is a continuation
of the initiatives described in the former
action plan. However, the evolution of
outlaw motorcycle gangs has challenged
the police force’s traditional approach to
understanding criminal networks. The
report therefore distinguishes between
combating motorcycle gang crime as one
element, and the organisation that facilitates such crime. With such a two-tier
approach, the National Police Directorate
is now prepared to reinforce its efforts
against motorcycle gangs over the next
four years.
The efforts of the police force and followup of this report will be evaluated over
time.
The National Police Directorate, 30
November 2010
22
Ingelin Killengreen, National Police
Commissioner
4
5
1 Introduction
1.1 The working group
The working group has prepared its report in parallel
with the reports regarding the police force’s efforts
to combat gang and drug crimes from 2011 to 2015,
and further insight can be gained from reading these
reports in context. The reports describe the development in crime and provide guidelines for how the
police districts and special units (hereinafter referred
to as the police force) shall prevent such crime for
the period from 2011 to 2015.
1.2 Structure of the report
The report describes how the police force shall
prevent projected motorcycle gang crime in the near
future. In order to be able to describe future crime,
we need information about its development (chapter
2) and how the police have combated such crime
(chapter 3). With this information, we are then
able to describe the current crime picture (chapter
4). Knowledge of history and the current situation
allows us to make qualified hypotheses regarding
the development of crime (chapter 5). Being able to
describe the development of crime also enables us to
propose measures (chapter 6). This report and the
application of it by the police force will be evaluated
as a part of the work to develop know-how within
the police (chapter 7).
6
7
2 The development of outlaw motorcycle gangs
2.1 Introduction: Which outlaw
motorcycle gangs require priority policing? The
police force’s efforts to combat outlaw motorcycle
gangs are primarily a question of counteracting the
networks which partly or wholly comprise outlaw
members of these gangs.
Motorcycle gang crime is most commonly committed
by the so-called «one percenters». The one percenters are clubs and individuals who belong to the
section of the motorcycle community which does not
define itself as part of normal society, or at least the
law-abiding motorcycle groups, and which follow
their own laws and regulations. They see themselves
as a brotherhood, and numerous members are convicted criminals. The clubs emerged from a sub-culture which developed in post-war USA, with a focus
on street motorcycles, in particular Harley Davidsons
and choppers, and a set of ideals involving freedom,
non-conformity and loyalty to the club.
2.2 Hells Angels1 – motto:
“When we do right nobody remembers. When we do
wrong nobody forgets.”
Hells Angels was founded in March 1948 in
California. The structure of the club has provided
a model for other motorcycle clubs. Hells Angels
expanded throughout the 1960s in the USA. The first
international Hells Angels chapter was established
in New Zealand in 1961. In July 1969, the very first
European chapter of Hells Angels was founded in
London. During the 1970s and 80s, Hells Angels
opened several chapters in Europe and the USA. At
the same time, the club consolidated its position in
Australia with the opening of a number of chapters
there. The 1980s and 90s saw a substantial expansion of Hells Angels in Canada.
The first chapter in Scandinavia was established
on 31 December 1980, when the Unionen MC in
Copenhagen became Hells Angels MC Copenhagen.
This is still considered to be the leading Hells Angels
chapter in Scandinavia.
Today, Hells Angels has 310 chapters in 32 countries, and is the largest club of one percenters.2
Furthermore, the club’s web site reports the existence of five official hang-around and prospect chapters.3 In Norway, Hells Angels has 113 members and
1
2
3
4
prospect members, who belonged to the following
seven chapters as of March 2010:
• Hells Angels MC Trondheim (full member 1
August 1992)
• Hells Angels MC Oslo (full member 14 September
1996)
• Hells Angels MC Stavanger (full member 14
September 1996)
• Hells Angels MC Hamar (full member 8 May 1999)
• Hells Angels MC Skien (full member 30
November 2002)
• Hells Angels MC Troms (full member 29
September 2006)
• Hells Angels MC Drammen (full member 1
September 2007)
• MC Bergen (prospect club)
The clubs under the domain of the Hells Angels
are in the majority and have a much more stable
membership than the clubs belonging to Bandidos/
Outlaws: More than 90% of the other one percenter
clubs in Norway support Hells Angels. By introducing the Norwegian model,4 Hells Angels has
secured itself a stable supply of new members. Over
the past few years, Hells Angels has welcomed an
increasing number of new prospect chapters, and
receives numerous requests for membership from
motorcycle clubs.
Hells Angels is affiliated with other criminal coalitions such as the Aryan Brotherhood, the Cali cartel
in Colombia, the Indian Posse gang in Canada and
the Iron Horsemen and Warlocks outlaw motorcycle
clubs in the USA.5
2.3 Bandidos – motto:
“We are the people our parents warned us about”
Bandidos was founded in 1966 in Texas, USA,
modelling themselves on Hells Angels. During the
1970s, Bandidos achieved substantial growth,
mainly in the south-eastern states. The first international chapter of the Bandidos was formed in Sydney,
Australia in December 1983. The establishment of
the first European chapter took place in the spring of
1989, when the Bandidos MC Marseilles chapter was
formed in South France.
In 1992 Bandidos began its expansion in Europe with
two probationary chapters in Denmark: Bandidos
Source: Kripos publication «MC-håndbok» dated 29 November 2006 and supplementary information from www.en.wikipedia.org.
According to figures from Europol in May 2010.
As of 27 May 2010. The Hells Angels’ web site does not accurately specify the number of members (or chapters).
In brief, the Norwegian model states that no one percenter club is allowed to start up without approval from the club which is responsible for the region. This has resulted in the majority of one percenters coming under the domain of the Hells Angels.
5 According to the description of Hells Angels on www.en.wikipedia.org.
MC Northland and Bandidos MC East Coast. On 17
December 1993, both chapters were promoted to full
membership in Bandido Nation, as the very first in
Scandinavia. Bandidos currently has 246 chapters
in 15 different countries.6 Bandidos also has 142
support groups listed on its web site. In Norway,
Bandidos had 48 members and prospect members as
of January 2010 in the following chapters:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bandidos MC Oslo (founded on 1 February
1997)
Bandidos MC Drammen (founded on 1
February 1997)
Bandidos MC Fredrikstad (founded in 1998)
Bandidos MC Stavanger (founded on 9
November 2002)
Bandidos MC Kristiansand
(founded on 5 July 2003). This chapter is
frozen due to understaffing, and the
members have been transferred to the
Drammen chapter.
Bandidos MC Lillestrøm
Probationary Asker (official prospect chapter)
Since their foundation in Norway, Bandidos has
reinforced its position within the motorcycle community by recruiting and building up support groups
such as Red & Gold Crew and Support X-team. These
support groups are not necessarily motorcycle enthusiasts and mainly comprise young criminal males.
As of May 2009, Bandidos had ten support groups in
different towns and cities in Norway.
2.4 Outlaws – motto:
“God Forgives, Outlaws Don’t – GFOD”
McCook Outlaws Motorcycle Club was founded in
1935 along the old motorway, Route 66, in the US
state of Illinois. The club achieved a substantial
growth during the first post-war years in the Chicago
area, and set up base in Chicago in 1950, changing
its name to The Chicago Outlaws.
In 1963, the Outlaws became official members of the
one percenter brotherhood of motorcycle clubs and
continued to grow in the USA. The first chapter to
be founded abroad was in 1977 in Canada. The first
intercontinental chapters were set up in France in
1993 and Australia in 1994. Over the next decade,
the Outlaws gained significant expansion. With
effect from 2002, the Outlaws had their first official
6 According to figures from Europol in May 2010.
7 According to figures from Europol in May 2010.
8 According to the description of Outlaws on www.en.wikipedia.org
support club, the Black Pistons.
Today, the Outlaws have a total of 2647 chapters
and prospect chapters comprising 106 chapters in
the USA and Canada, 144 chapters in Europe, 17 in
Australia and 3 in South East Asia. In Scandinavia,
the Outlaws are only present in Sweden and Norway;
Hells Angels and Bandidos dominate in Denmark.
In Norway, the Outlaws have recruited the highest
number of members over recent years and have
approx. 70 members and prospect members distributed over the following chapters as of March 2010:
• Outlaws Oslo (founded in 2000)
• Outlaws Nomads (founded in December 2007)
• Outlaws Drammen
• Outlaws Fredrikstad
• Outlaws Jessheim
• Outlaws Stavanger
• Outlaws Trondheim
• Outlaws Norway North (prospective)
• Outlaws Kristiansand (prospective)
• Outlaws Sarpsborg (founded 18 September
2009)
• Outlaws Eidsvoll (founded in January 2010)
Outlaws are allied with the following motorcycle groups: Bandidos, Mongols and Pagans in the
USA and a group within the American Mafia “The
Chicago Outfit”.8
2.5 Coffin Cheaters MC
The Coffin Cheaters club was founded in the town of
Perth, Australia in
1970. The Australian police force describes the club
as one of the most well-run one percenter clubs in
the country, with good resources and solid finances.
In Australia, the Coffin Cheaters are larger than Hells
Angels. Coffin Cheaters only exist in Australia and
Norway. In Norway, the Coffin Cheaters founded
the Forbidden Few MC Lillestrøm club in September
2004 as a full blown chapter. This move was in defiance of the Hell Angels’ hegemony over the establishment of new one percenter clubs. However, Hells
Angels had to accept the new club in order to avoid a
«war» in Australia.
The Coffin Cheaters aim to grow even further. They
have ten chapters in Australia and three in Norway,
with an approximate total of between 200 and300
members. The Norwegian chapter has 25 members
and prospect members distributed among the chapters in Lillestrøm, Stjørdal and Gjøvik.
8
9
3 The police force’s efforts to combat outlaw motorcycle groups
It was not until the early 1980s that the Norwegian
police began to experience problems with outlaw
motorcycle gangs. The police stations in Trondheim,
Rogaland and Oslo were particularly affected and
entered into a collaboration. The Danish police also
took part in this collaboration as the Norwegian
clubs had close links with the Danish clubs.
The outlaw motorcycle clubs became a matter for
the central authorities and featured on their agendas
from the start of the 1990s. In Circular G-1 48/91,
the Ministry of Justice and Police in Norway, in
consultation with the Director of Public Prosecution
in Norway, decided to implement a project to
combat outlaw motorcycle groups in Norway. This
was a joint project between the Oslo police headquarters and Kripos (the National Bureau of Crime
Investigation Service now known as the National
Criminal Investigation Service), aiming to track the
groups and prevent their expansion. At the same
time, a nationwide contact person scheme was
established and a strategy laid down. This strategy
provided guidelines for tracking outlaw motorcycle
clubs, listing a number of operational countermeasures, including investigations.
In 1995, the National Bureau of Crime Investigation
was allocated main responsibility for intelligence
work in Norway. This responsibility also covered the
motorcycle gang project. As such, the Ministry of
Justice and the Police prepared a new set of instructions for the project, highlighting the importance of
good intelligence efforts.
In 1997, a Nordic action plan to combat biker gang
crime was drawn up. In 1999, the Ministry of Justice
and the Police requested an enhanced coordination
of strategy and the implementation of measures
among central agencies and the police districts. The
threat now presented by these gangs was described
as alarming, and the Ministry of Justice and the
Police aimed to intensify the fight by establishing
a national project under the management of Oslo
Police District.
In 2003, the National Police Directorate prepared its
plan of action, entitled: «Politiets bekjempelse av kriminelle MC-miljøer 2003–2008» (the police force’s
fight against outlaw motorcycle groups, 2003-2008).
Kripos was assigned the role of central coordinator,
both at home and abroad. Furthermore, ROK provided assistance on ten major cases involving members
of motorcycle gangs, and the police successfully
collaborated with local partners. Despite the efforts
of the police and society at large, the number of motorcycle club chapters still increased from 11 in 2003
to 25 in 2009, in addition to the establishment of the
Coffin Cheaters in 2004.
The evaluation of the action plan in 2009 indicated
that there was still a need for the police, in cooperation with other public authorities and society at
large, to actively fight outlaw motorcycle clubs. The
evaluation highlighted the need for a more clearly
defined and binding adoption of the plan of action,
and a need to increase know-how within the area.
Numerous international projects and groups have
been set up to work on motorcycle gangs:
• The PTN-collaboration (police and customs
in the Nordic countries) is an important tool
for successful collaboration among the Nordic
countries. Norway is in charge of the PTN Rocker
project.9 The goal of this project is to collect,
process, analyse and communicate
relevant information on crimes committed by
members of outlaw motorcycle clubs.
• Europol includes outlaw motorcycle clubs as
one of its main target areas. Norway is part of the
Europol project called Monitor.
• International Outlaw Motorcycle Gang
Investigators Association (IOMGA) is a worldwide
association and organises an annual conference for
the police.
9 The term “rocker” is defined as the side, top and bottom arch on a motorcycle vest or jacket.
4 Outlaw motorcycle gangs in Norway today
This report focuses on the international one percenter clubs, Hells Angels, Bandidos, Outlaws and
Coffin Cheaters, currently established in Norway.10
As these clubs are very similar, they are discussed
jointly in the report.
4.1 Individual motivations for becoming members
and links between the members
Members of the established one percenter clubs are
recruited from the supporter clubs. Those persons
recruited most often have resources or know-how
which is of use to the club.
Researchers and former members agree that profit
or the desire to commit crimes is seldom the sole
motivating factor for becoming a one percenter. In
general, the motivation is that of living a lifestyle
characterised by ideals of independence, solidarity
and freedom. The process to become a member
is long, uncertain and demanding, so prospective
members require a high level of motivation. Full
members are most often adults, as the clubs often
expect a certain degree of maturity and repertoire of
a prospective member.
The club members do not only meet in one arena;
they work together, maintain their motorcycles,
prepare activity plans and party together. They
form multiplex relationships which are strong, easy
to mobilise and long-lasting, and which therefore
create strong bonds of loyalty within the motorcycle
gangs, at least within the club. However, there are
plenty of examples to indicate that conditions within
the clubs are not as idyllic as one might imagine.
4.2 The outlaw motorcycle gangs
This chapter sets out to describe the motorcycle
gangs as a network. In many ways, this is more simple to describe than other criminal networks, partly
because the organisation and ideology is visible,
definable and relatively rigid. For the purpose of this
description, it is appropriate to distinguish between
the club and the club members. The club is a basic
organisation11 within which the members are
active.
The One Percenter concept
The term «One Percenter» is thought to have been introduced after
the motorcycle rally in Hollister, California in 1947, at which a number of
criminal acts were committed. The American Motorcyclist Association
– AMA, which organised the event, is said to have stated that the
problems were caused by the one percent of dissidents who tarnished
the public.
4.2.1 Structure of the basic organisation
One common factor for the motorcycle gangs is that
they have a fixed structure of laws and regulations
for their organisation and administration.12 The
gangs have supranational, national and local sets
of regulations. These are obligatory, even if they
collide with the rules imposed by society. The clubs
also have ethical standards, for example an absolute
requirement for secrecy in relation to third parties.
All the clubs have a leading body. In Hells Angels, the
principal body is the «world rally». The Bandidos,
Outlaws and Coffin Cheaters have permanent
leadership bodies, for example the Bandidos’ El
Presidente. All the international one percenter clubs
hold regular regional and global meetings at which
they discuss rules and other matters.
All the international motorcycle gangs are organised
into chapters. The chapters comprise at least five or
six full members. The chapters are organised
according to a common template, with no room for
differences, and can be compared to franchises. If a
chapter should be undermanned, for example due
to members being arrested or withdrawing from the
club, this has to be reported to the club management,
which then decides whether the chapter should be
frozen or reinforced with members from other clubs.
Each chapter is organised according to a traditional
hierarchical structure:
• Internally, the President is in control of the chapter
and its members. He has right of veto at member
meetings and can amend decisions made. The Vice
President represents the President in his absence.
• The Sergeant at Arms is in charge of security and is
responsible for maintaining an overview of the
club’s enemies, defending the club/chapter and
keeping order in the ranks. He reports directly to
the President and is entitled, on order, to discipline
including physically disciplining - members who
have broken club rules, or who have acted in a way
which puts the club or chapter in a bad light. During
such disciplinary procedures, the other members
have to support “the Sergeant”.
• The secretary/treasurer is in charge of
administration in each chapter, for example writing
the minutes of meetings, keeping an overview of
finances and collecting club fines and fees from
members.
• The Road Captain is responsible for organised
chapter activities such as trips and rallies.
The chapter’s (full) members have the right to speak
and vote during chapter meetings. The members of
each chapter are also members of the entire worldwide club. New members in Bandidos are appointed an older member as «sponsor». A sponsor is
responsible for the new member for a period of five
years, including responsibility for ensuring that the
member is not a police agent.
10 Another Norwegian One Percenter club is Wino’s Crew, originating from BoozeFighters MC.
11 For more information on the basic organisation and the interaction between this and the organisation members, we recommend Kriminelle organisasjoner – Hvordan
forstå organisert kriminalitet, by Ivar A. Fahsing and Petter Gottschalk, Fagbokforlaget 2008, pp. 98 and 99.
12 For example, HAMC Word Rules, HAMC Europe By-laws, Bandidos’ MC Europe By-laws, Outlaws’ AOA European Rules and Coffin Cheaters Constitution.
10
11
The majority of members belong to a specific geographical chapter, while certain chapters or members are nomads.13 Nomads comprise members who
are experienced, loyal and are very familiar with
the organisation. In general, nomads enjoy a high
status and the clubs make use of nomads to reinforce
chapters which have been impaired or to generally
help the club.14
In order to become a full member of a club, candidates have to climb through the ranks - from hangaround to prospect to full member. Hang-arounds:
a phase during which connections are made and the
hang-arounds have to prove their worth as future
prospects by carrying out various tasks for the club.
Hang-arounds have the opportunity to become
future members of a club and are also allowed to
take part in parties and meet full members. Hangarounds are not entitled to wear the club uniform. If
a hang-around is able to meet the acceptance requirements, he may be upgraded to a prospect.
Prospects15 (probationaries16 and probates17) are
official prospective members for full membership
of the club. Prospects wear a patch on their jacket
which ties them to the club, but not the club logo.
They can take part at chapter meetings but do not
have a right to vote. A prospect is subordinate to all
full members and must prove that he has the ability
and willingness to carry out obligatory tasks or meet
the expectations of the club. Prospect members are
elected to the club, and it is therefore common practice for prospects to set off on an election campaign,
visiting the different chapters in the country/region
to meet full members. Acceptance to a chapter/
club takes place in the form of an official ceremony,
whereby a prospect becomes «Full-Patched», i.e. is
awarded the club logo and the top and bottom rocker, as a full member.
13
14
15
16
All the clubs with the exception of Coffin Cheaters have nomads.
Nomads are the motorcycle gangs’ version of the Libero within football.
Can also be defined as candidate
Bandidos has three phases, prospect, probationary then member. Probationaries are candidates for around six months before gaining membership. Probationaries are allowed to wear “The Fat Mexican”-logo and have status as officer.
17 In the Outlaws, Probates are qualified prospect members, as with the
The name Hells Angels and the insignia on the back of their jackets
The name Hells Angels was utilised for military formations during the
First and Second World Wars. The film Hells Angels from 1930 portrays
dramatic and heroic air combat from the First World War. During the
Second World War, this name was used for a squadron in China, a
bomber formation in England and the 11th Airborne division. The colours
and shape of the insignia
“The Winged Death’s Head” is thought to originate from the 85th Fighter
Squadron and the 552nd Medium Bomber Squadron. Hells Angels
registered a trade mark for the insignia in 1972.
Examples of legal activities which prospects have
to carry out are security guard, tidying and serving
behind bars. There is reason to believe that illegal
activities, according to circumstances, may strengthen a prospect or hang-around’s candidacy for full
membership. In connection with the Tokke murder
case, one of the accused, who at that time was a prospect in Hells Angels MC Stavanger, stated that he
was subordinated to a member and had to carry out
the tasks he had been given. Such tasks may involve
sales of drugs, serious theft etc.
--
-Affiliated chapters comprise the club’s official
support groups:
-- Support X-Team is an official, international support group for Bandidos. The support group is a
pool from which Bandidos recruits prospective
members. The group is established in Denmark,
Norway and Sweden. A member of Support
X-Team is entitled to wear the Support X-Team
uniform, but not a motorcycle jacket showing
membership or prospective membership in
Bandidos. Uniforms are only available from a
contact person, who normally is a full member
of Bandidos. A Support X-Team is in the main
organised in the same way as the chapters,18
and the members wear a uniform in the club
colours - yellow and red. A Support X-Team
must have at least five members and the age
limit is 18.19
-- red & White Support Crew20 is the official
support group for Hells Angels. Red & White
Support Crew is thought to have been established as a counterpart to Bandidos’ Support
X-Team, and its organisation and uniform is
very similar to the latter. The support group is
responsible for a major share of the visible crimes committed under the auspices of the Hells
Angels. In Denmark, the Red & White Support
Bandidos’ probationaries.
18 With officers in the form of President, Vice President, Security Chief and normal
members.
19 However, members are not required to have a Harley Davidson to become
members of Bandidos.
20 Red and white are the club colours for Hells Angels
Crew is named AK81.21 In Norway, there are
support groups in Stavanger, Kristiansand and
Trondheim. The members of these groups often
have a criminal record and a high number have
experience from martial arts. The chapter in
Kristiansand recruits from the town’s right-wing
extremist groups.
Outlaws’ Black & White Crew is similar to
the Red & White Support Crew and Support
X-Team.
Hells Angels in Denmark introduced a new
initiative22 in the form of the official Viking
Defence League Denmark. Members of the
above are official supporters but not members of
Hells Angels or AK81. Membership fees are paid
to the Hells Angels’ Danish “Defence Fund”, i.e.
the fund set up to support jailed members, prospects, hang-arounds and AK81 members.23 No
requirements are made of the supporters, and
detailed information on the group is only available via membership. Membership is gained by
paying a membership fee of DKK 300 to support
criminals.24 In practice, these support groups
target minors.26
There is a high level of criminal activity among the
support groups, comprising all types of crime from
the sale of drugs to violence and vandalism.26
It is thought that the groups are utilised by the members of the motorcycle gangs to carry out assignments they find too risky. The support groups recruit
from youths already involved in crime and who are
searching for a sense of belonging, but who are not
necessarily interested in motorcycles. In the hands of
the motorcycle gangs, these young people are turned
into multiple criminals and represent obedient
instruments for the club.
Furthermore, the motorcycle gangs are supported
by a number of official and even greater number of
unofficial support clubs. The unofficial support clubs
may have been forced to join the system as a part of
the consolidation into the motorcycle environment.
They are therefore not necessarily criminals or supporters of the motorcycle gang. These clubs make up
21 AK81 stands for «Alltid klar Hells Angels» (Always Ready Hells Angels). The number 8 represents the letter H and the number 1 represents the letter A.
22 The support group was officially founded in March 2010 and also has a Facebook
group with 4,199 fans as of 9April 2010.
23 www.vikingdefenceleaugue.dk 24 March 2010.
24 With a view to the «war» in Denmark between Hells Angels and ethnic gangs for
the drugs market, the fund could be described as a «war fund».
25 Statement made by Hells Angels’ spokesperson in Denmark, Jørn Jønke Nielsen,
to the Bergens Tidende newspaper, quoted on www.dagbladet.no on 20 March
2010.
26 In Sweden, no less than 89% of the members have been convicted of crimes,
ref. report dated 18 June 2009 from Sweden, «Handlingsplan Hells Angels MC –
Västra Götaland och Halland».
27 To date, the Red Devils MC’s only representation in Scandinavia is in Sweden.
Red Devils MC Sweden was founded in August 2001, when four Swedish clubs,
all loyal and with close ties to Hells Angels MC Sweden were merged. If another
motorcycle club seeks acceptance and to establish a Red Devils MC Sweden
the «court» for the clubs, providing them with credibility, legitimacy, prestige and power. The official
support clubs originate from the one percenter clubs
and are therefore more harmonious with these; Red
Devils MC27 and Devils Choice MC28 are official
support clubs for the Hells Angels in Scandinavia.
Official support clubs for the Bandidos include
Diablos MC29 and Compadres MC in Drammen.
There are other sympathisers (supporters, friends
and party girls) with no official connection to a club
- or any form of connection at all. A common feature
of these seems to be that they are attracted by the
personalities within the motorcycle environment,
their ideals, structure, potential earnings etc. A number of these «sympathisers» take part at club events
and at events where persons from the clubs normally
attend. They are examples of «honey traps» laid by
the clubs in the form of drugs/sex in order to con
sympathisers who are of interest to the club or chapter. Sympathisers can be used or forced to provide for
the club or members. They also help earn income for
the club by selling club accessories, tattoos etc. and
to make the club more socially acceptable.
It is therefore evident that the one percenters have
a hierarchical organisation, apparently much more
highly structured than that required for a gang of
motorcycle enthusiasts. The clubs have legislative,
executive and judicial bodies which keep control of
the members, the organisation, finances and activities. In addition to this basic structure, the clubs
establish ties with support groups and sympathisers
in order to gain added strength.
4.2.2 Club uniforms and what they say30
“Colors” is a collective term used to describe the symbols or insignias worn on the members’ motorcycle
jackets. “Colors” is a part of an international system
of signs governed by strict rules. Only full members
are permitted to wear the club colors. The insignias
worn on the back of the jackets are identical for all
club members, while the jacket front may vary from
member to member. In addition to the One Percenter
patch, there is an insignia which shows the member’s
rank in the club, for example President or Vice
chapter, the club must submit an official application either to Red Devils MC
or to Hells Angels. Outside of Sweden, Red Devils MC has chapters in the USA,
Germany, South Africa and Singapore.
28 Devils Choice MC is a new MC club comprising 130 bikers from Hog Riders,
Immortals, Tornados and Chieftains, and which are part of the HA system in
Denmark. This is the Danish opposite of Sweden’s Red Devils.
29 Bandidos MC founded an official support club in 1999, called
Diablos MC. Diablos MC was established in Sweden in October 2001. To date, Sweden
and
Finland are the only Nordic countries where Diablos MC has set up chapters. Members of Diablos MC are seen at the majority of Nordic events held by Bandidos.
Half the club members are Europeans and the rest are from Thailand.
30 Ref. Kripos’ MC handbook and patrol car handbook - one percenter motorcycle
gangs.
31 With Outlaws, it is not common for officers to wear their officer title on their
jackets.
12
13
President.31 The different clubs also have specific
symbols or insignias which the individual member
has earned, for example, if they have acted violently towards the police or have resisted arrest (the
«dequiallo» symbol) or are guilty of or an accomplice
to murder for the club (the «filthy few» symbol).
The club logos worn on the members’ jackets are borrowed from the club. In other words, the members
do not own the logo32 and have to return it if they
withdraw from or are excluded from the club. There
are also examples where the Hells Angels tattoo is
similarly «confiscated» upon withdrawal or exclusion, either by tattooing the withdrawal date over
the existing tattoo or by physical removal.
It is very humiliating for club members to have their
«colors» confiscated. The uniform thus becomes a
form of communication both internally and externally. The main message is one for all, all for one and
aggression - a message which in practice has significant impact. Disagreements regarding the insignia
on the back of jackets have given rise to violent
conflicts and clashes between clubs.
4.2.3 How the clubs take care of their members and
supporters
The international one percenter clubs primarily
provide an ideological fellowship for motorcycle
enthusiasts. Coffin Cheaters highlight the departure
from the welfare state and the choice of a free and
unrestrained lifestyle when describing themselves.33 The word «motorcycle» is not mentioned in
this context. The ideology of the Coffin Cheaters is
mainly the same as that of Hells Angels, Bandidos
and Outlaws. Other ideals are brotherhood, male
dominance34 and pure strength. Not only do the
members of the one percenters think of themselves
as the «elite» within the motorcycle environment,
they often think of themselves as racially elite, and
it is common to see hints of racism within these
groups.35 However, the clubs are pragmatic enough
not to allow racism to obstruct that which could
benefit the club or its members.
The conditions for becoming a member of Hells
Angels are that you have a valid driving licence and a
functioning motorcycle. Hells Angels does not accept
child molesters or persons who have applied to
become police officers or prison guards. Prospective
members will also be rejected if they have close
family relations who may work or have worked for
the police or prison service.36 Violent tendencies
do not appear to be a deterrent for membership. A
recent trend has emerged where the clubs establish
ties with persons who have expertise within financial
planning etc., in order to bolster other dimensions of
their activities.
As a member of a motorcycle gang, you resign from
normal society and enter a closed fellowship with
a strong outer spirit of solidarity. Each individual
member is sure that his «brothers» will support him
and stand by his side.37 This «brotherhood» applies
to all members of the club, including «brothers» in
other countries. Individual members therefore feel
safe that they will not be stabbed in the back by their
«brothers». This dimension of trust implies that agreements can be reached without any former personal
contact.38
The club therefore represents a strong ideological an
32 As previously mentioned, the Hells Angels logo is a registered trademark.
33 www.coffincheatersmc.org 13 April 2010.
34 In the NRK documentary, Brennpunkt, broadcast 18 May 2010, a member of Hells Angels stated that it is not unusual to offer female cohabitants and friends to other
members.
35 Nazi-like symbolism is common on the web sites of affiliated groups. Hells Angels is also affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood - a white supremacist criminal group
in the USA, originating from American jails.
36 However, there is an exception to this rule in Norway.
37 «Your Brother isn’t always right but he is always your Brother. It’s one in all and all in one» – quoted from the Bandidos’ Norwegian website, www.bandidosmc.no,
13 April 2010.
38 The significance of trust is also mentioned in the report «Organisert kriminalitet i Norge» (organised crime in Norway).
Colours
“Colors” is a collective term used to describe the symbols or logos worn on
the members’ motorcycle jackets. “Colors” is a part of an international system
of signs governed by strict rules. Only full members are permitted to wear the
club colors. The insignias worn on the back of the jackets are identical for all
club members, while the jacket front may vary from member to member.
«brotherly» community or fellowship. This fellowship
also paves the way for members to earn money, both
legally and illegally. The club may provide financial
support to members via their «Defence Fund». The
money for this Defence Fund comes from member
contributions, sale of accessories and in the form
of loans. The funds provide financial support to
members who are in jail and pay for lawyers’ fees/
private investigators, particularly for legal cases
involving principle. The clubs follow up members
who are jailed, sending them newsletters and other
members are obliged to write to and visit their jailed
«brothers». Jailed members often have much better
conditions than other inmates, which can often
result in the recruitment of prospective members.
4.2.4 In-house discipline within the clubs
The clubs have a supranational and national set of
regulations. The main purpose of these regulations
is to safeguard the club’s interests - not to regulate
the members’ relationship with society at large. If a
member breaches the club regulations,39 he may be
disciplined.
If the breach is severe, the club has two forms of
sanction. The member may leave the club in good
standing. This is a mild form of reaction where the
member still has access to the club and can apply for
new membership starting from the beginning and
climbing the ranks from hang-around and prospect.
If the breach is of such a nature that it harms the
club’s interests or status, or that individual members
are compromised in relation to the police or media,
the person may have to leave in bad standing. In
keeping with the one percenter clubs’ low threshold for violence, breaches of the regulations often
provoke short and brutal reactions.40 A person in
bad standing is an undesirable both for the club and
the one percenters in general, and cannot apply for
new membership. The different clubs share their bad
standing lists with each other.
4.2.5 The club members from a law-breaking
perspective
The members of the outlaw motorcycle gangs are
often involved in serious crime, particularly drug
trafficking, collecting money by means of violence
(torpedo) and violence. Committing crimes is made
easier due to the member’s affiliation with the club
because he can play on its “goodwill”. At the same
time, the legal aspects are catered for in that the
clubs are for motorcycle enthusiasts who share a fellowship and sense of belonging. It has been claimed
that it is this lifestyle, and not the opportunity to
commit crimes, which represents the highest motivating factor for members. However, crime appears
to permeate the clubs’ organisation, support system
and ideology in such a way that it is appropriate to
question whether crime is yet another dimension of
the lifestyle.
No information has been found of persons wanting
to join the outlaw motorcycle gangs and being rejected on the grounds of the person’s criminal background. On the contrary, there are several examples
of prospective members who have achieved full
membership shortly after a conviction involving
serious crime. Convicted members are expected to
serve their sentence without informing on other
members. At the same time, the club provides financial support via their Defence Fund, and moral support by awarding specific insignia for imprisonment,
a mention on the club web site41 etc.
39 In an interview with NRK in the summer of 2000, the President of Outlaws MC Norway, Dag Edvind Sterkeby, stated that the internal laws were stricter than those in
society at large, and that a breach of the laws resulted in a more stringent reaction.
40 Three members of Outlaws MC Belgia were convicted of the murder of another member in the summer of 2005. The background to the murder was that the member
had been guilty of a breach of the internal Outlaws regulations.
41 Hells Angels members serving a prison sentence are known as “Big House Crew”, and a separate website has been set up for such members: www.bighousecrew.
net. The website sells items such as
T-shirts with the profits spent on supporting the «brothers» in jail.
Coffin Cheaters
We do not choose to be common men, it is our right to be uncommon – if we can. We seek opportunity – not
security. We do not wish to be kept citizens, humbled and dull by having the state look after us. We want to
take the calculated risk, to dream and built – to fail, to succeed. We refuse to barter incentive for a dole. We
prefer the challenge of life to the guaranteed existence – the thrill of fulfilment to the calm state of utopia.
We will not trade our freedom for beneficence nor our dignity for a handout. We will never cower before any
master nor bend to any threat. It is our heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid – to think and act for
ourselves, enjoy the benefits of our creations and face the world boldly, and say, this we have done.
14
15
Of the 113 Hells Angels members and prospect
members in Norway, 85 or 75% have been convicted
of criminal offences. Of the 48 Bandidos members
and prospect members in Norway, 30 or approx. 62%
have been convicted of offences. For Coffin Cheaters,
these figures are 14 of 25 members, or 56%
In 2007, Kripos investigated the criminal records of
184 members and prospect members of Hells Angels,
Bandidos and Outlaws. The investigation showed
that 126 had convictions, a total of 69% of members.
Of these 126, a total of 111 had been convicted of
crimes while 15 were convicted of offences. In total,
74 had been convicted during the last five years.
Many of the persons convicted had committed crimes during the past 20 years.
4.2.6 The clubs’ income and outgoings
It is important to distinguish between the finances of
the club and those of members, even if these can at
times be mixed together.
For Bandidos, all chapters pay a monthly amount for
each member and prospect member to Bandidos MC
National Chapter. Furthermore, each new chapter
pays an establishment fee. A fee is also charged for
withdrawal or exclusion. It is thought that the clubs/
chapters also charge a percentage fee from illegal
earnings gained by members, possibly as a «duty» for
use of the club’s violent image.
The motorcycle gangs control the chains of tattoo
parlours, Tattoo World42 / House of Pain43 (Hells
Angels) and Tattoo Nation (Bandidos). They also
control the chains of shops selling supporter gear,
Route 81 and Bad Boys Wear. Hells Angels in Finland
is involved in more than 80 companies with a total
turnover of more than EUR 60 million.
The largest expenses for the clubs are most probably the club premises, creating ties within local
communities and travel expenses for participation
at meetings and parties in Norway and abroad.
The cost of club premises can reach several million
Norwegian krone. Vast sums of money are in general
spent on security for the club premises, with surveillance cameras, alarm systems and reinforcement
of doors and windows.
In Norway, the club premises are owned or leased
by private limited companies or foundations, often
with members holding central positions. A common feature of such private limited companies and
foundations is that the creditors are not entitled to
hold the shareholders or founders financially liable
for the company/foundation or vice versa. One practical example of this is that any claims for seizure
made against one member will be limited to his
shareholding. If the company - or foundation - goes
bankrupt due to a seizure, the member’s liability will
be limited to the amount he subscribed as share capital (or donation to the foundation).44 This provides
the member and club with a formal, legal severance
in the event of claims from third parties. On the
other hand, several of the club premises provide
living quarters for members and registered business
addresses for their companies.
4.3 How outlaw motorcycle gangs function
within society
In the above, the motorcycle gangs are described as
a separate entity. However, their description must be
viewed in the context of how they function within
society. It is only then that we can establish a good
basis on which to describe how crimes are committed and how the police force can combat such crime.
4.3.1 Relationships to other, similar motorcycle
groups
During the period from 1994 to 1997, the outlaw
motorcycle gangs in the Nordic countries fought
among themselves for control of the drugs market,
for example - resulting in the Nordic MC war. Police
have established direct links with this conflict to 11
murders45 and 74 attempted murders. In the autumn
of 1997, the Danish Hells Angels and Bandidos
announced in the media that they had reached an
agreement regarding a «peace treaty», and they
established a control committee and hotline to
prevent more open conflict. The clubs are pragmatic
enough to realise that open warfare is bad for business, and to date the market is sufficiently profitable
for all parties.
However, the absence of war-like acts cannot be
interpreted as peace and tolerance. Since 2000,
the clubs have been fighting a cold war to gain the
largest possible expansion of both territory and
number of members/supporters. This cold war led
the clubs to enter into alliances in order to gain
added strength. In Norway, Hells Angels and Coffin
Cheaters have reached an alliance on one side, while
Bandidos and Outlaws have allied on the other
side. This consolidation has created a defined front
line within the motorcycle environment. However,
42 Tattoo World in Norway is currently owned and managed by Leif Ivar Kristiansen (“Leifen”), Hells Angels’ President in Norway. The company’s registered business address
is the same as that for the Hells Angels’ premises at Bynesveien100 in Trondheim.
43 House of Pain on the island of Stord and in Arendal is owned by Hells Angels member Vemund Sæterstøl, who is a member of the Oslo chapter.
44 However, the corporate bodies carry a criminal and compensation liability for its activities.
45 Two of the murder victims had no connection to the motorcycle gangs.
16
17
behind this frontline, there appears to be a confusion
of alliances, breaches of alliances and pragmatic
solutions.
The substantial expansion achieved by the clubs
implies that they have to be flexible, and they are
seen to regularly breach their own standards and
regulations, for example when full members are
allowed to move from one club to another. However,
the fact that Hells Angels members are allowed to
transfer to Bandidos and vice versa, does not change
the defined front between the clubs. The clubs, in
particular Bandidos and the Outlaws, have also
modified their acceptance requirements and have
recruited hardcore criminals outside of motorcycle
gangs.
politicians and the media are frequently invited to
events where the motorcycle gangs demonstrate
their altruism.
4.3.3 Age of the motorcycle gangs as an expression
of their criminal potential
The one percenter clubs have now survived for half
a century, despite the development of society, the
efforts of the authorities, competing clubs and competing criminals. The durability of the motorcycle
gangs shows that they have achieved continuance
and stability. The clubs are now well-established
within society. Well-established criminal networks
have a much higher potential for crime than criminal
(individual) projects. The Italian and American
Mafia are examples of this.
In practice, this consolidation within the one percenter groups implies a lower risk of open conflict.
However, if an open conflict were to occur, the consequences for society at large could be dramatic, ref.
the bombing in Drammen.
The fact that a criminal network has survived over
time inspires newly established groups to adopt the
network model for organisation. The new groups
can then benefit from the proven steadfastness and
adaptability of this organisational model.
4.3.2 Relationship with the media and establishment
of “goodwill”
The clubs appear to actively promote themselves
in the media in order to generate a positive image
for the club. They invite persons to open events, for
example the «Factory Party», where they promote
themselves as normal motorcycle enthusiasts,
receiving the support of pop artists and well-known
catering firms. Since the clubs are normally extremely closed, such events attract a lot of people and
receive considerable media coverage.
4.4 Criminality inflicted on society by motorcycle
gangs
In Norway, none of the one percenter clubs have
been convicted pursuant to section 48a of the Penal
Code regarding corporate penalties. Neither has it
been established that the members have represented
an organised criminal group pursuant to the Penal
Code section 60a merely because they are members of a motorcycle gang. The clubs aim to - at all
costs - avoid developing a poor reputation by being
linked to crime. At the same time, two thirds of their
members have been convicted of crimes.
The members also take part in a number of public
events, arriving in full club uniform, in order to
present themselves as harmless and responsible
citizens. During the Stop Violence Action in Oslo
Spektrum in 1999, central figures from Bandidos
attended to provide their support to the event, and
were photographed together with Prime Minister
at that time, Kjell Magne Bondevik. During the
award ceremony for the music industry in Norway
(Spellemannsprisen), also in 1999, a central Hells
Angels member was asked to award the prize for the
best rock song. He entered the stage, wearing the
Hells Angels insignia on his back, thereby representing the entire Hells Angels organisation.
Society has to be protected against these gangs,
by making them responsible for both their clubs
and members. The imposition of responsibility on
each member for his criminal project, for example,
drug trafficking, is not particularly challenging
for the police.46 The greatest challenge is proving
whether the club in whole or in part is responsible
as an enterprise47 for contributing to48 the criminal
actions of its members, or whether membership in
itself implies that the person is a part of an organised
criminal group.49 Below, we will highlight a number
of circumstances which may be of significance when
the police analyse and prevent this type of crime.
Bandidos carry out regular «Toy Runs», where
they collect toys for children in orphanages. Local
By way of introduction, it is important to specify that
the motorcycle gangs aim to place as much distance
46Selv om det må medgis at trusler mot vitner og mindre samarbeidsvillige tiltalte medfører utfordringer for å avdekke sannheten når MC-medlemmer er tiltalt.
47 Jf. straffeloven § 48a.
48Jf. læren om fysisk og/eller psykisk medvirkning.
49Jf. straffeloven § 60a.
as possible between themselves and crime, in order
to reduce the risk of detection. It has therefore
become increasingly common to make use of persons
outside the club to carry out the primary offence,
for example persons in the support groups, support
clubs or other criminal groups.50
The one percenter members often act as backers.
They are extremely security conscious in their role of
backer and very rarely make use of electronic means
of communication. When a member is linked to a
criminal act, that act is seen as the criminal project of
the individual member - and not the club. It therefore appears that the crime committed by the individual member is a solo project. From a social aspect, it
is essential to clarify whether this actually is the case.
The criminality inflicted on society by motorcycle
gangs - including that committed together with other
criminal groups - typically comprises drug trafficking, violence, threats and economic crime.
In general, the motorcycle gangs disassociate themselves from heroin,51 but members can be linked to
the importation, sale and use of marijuana, amphetamine and cocaine.52
It is thought that the clubs’ international network
plays an important role in trafficking of drugs.
Experience from investigated drug cases shows
that the drugs sold are often purchased via club
organisations.
One of the most serious sides of the motorcycle
gangs is their systematic and extensive use of
violence and threats. Their violent profile has been
developed over the years, during which members, in
the spirit of the club, have acted violently. Violence
ranges from internal conflicts between members to
influencing the media53 and those taking part in
court cases54. There are also examples of murders,
originating from crime.55 There are also a number
of examples to show that the violent profile allows
the clubs to threaten and coerce persons to behave
as the clubs dictate. Perhaps the most conspicuous
form of threatening behaviour is when the club
members appear in court in full uniform.56 There
are no grounds on which to presume that the clubs
condemn this type of behaviour.
In addition to drugs, outlaw motorcycle gangs are
also mainly connected with crimes involving money
collection. It is well known that the money collectors can be violent so it is best to pay what they
ask. Debt collection can often take place relatively
normally; When the debt collector is known to be a
member of Hells Angels, it is no longer necessary to
make threats. This type of activity takes place in an
environment where the parties involved operate in a
grey zone between legitimate and illegitimate debt
collection. The claims are often sold on via several
parties before ending up with the motorcycle gangs.
The police very rarely gain knowledge of such cases,
even if violence is used. The victims are understandably too frightened to incur further violence from
the motorcycle gang/member if they report the matter. Parts of the profit gained from debt collection are
most often paid to the club fund.
Criminal damage is also utilised as a means of
intimidation. In Norway, there have been examples
of damage to vehicles belonging to police officers
working on cases involving motorcycle gangs. The
police have found lists of vehicles, police officers and
addresses when raiding club premises, which naturally gives cause for concern. This type of contraintelligence indicates that the club may intend to
make use of this information to their advantage.
When carrying out intelligence operations targeting
these clubs, police officers should therefore be aware
that these types of records, under the circumstances,
can be governed by the Personal Data Act sections
8 and 9, and that storage of such information in the
club premises may incur the club a criminal liability
pursuant to section 48a of the Penal Code.
It appears that members increasingly attempt to hide
their criminal activities and that they focus increasingly on areas which generate high profits. Drug
trafficking can generate high gains, but it is when
investing the gain that major profit can be earned
over time. This may explain why the distance between certain parties active in the financial markets
and outlaw motorcycle gangs has narrowed. These
50 For example minority ethnic groups in major cities.
51 The use of heroin may result in exclusion.
52 Smuggling of 100 kilo amphetamine in September 1998. Two prospects from Hells Angels MC Oslo were convicted. After some time, they became full members. Two supporters were also convicted. A hangaround in Hells Angels Oslo was caught in March 2001 with close to 50 kg of marijuana and a large volume of amphetamine in his home. A member of Hells Angels in Hamar was arrested with 1,000 litres
of spirits in September 2001.
53 Threats against the editors of Ystad Allhanda in Sweden, who had reported the establishment of a Hells Angels chapter. Another example of Hells Angels conduct is the «occupation» of a TV studio after
Hells Angels was presented as a criminal organisation on a panel debate.
54 Ref. Penal Code section 132a.
55 The bomb attack against Bandidos MC’s club in June 1997 in Drammen, where a passer-by was killed. Murder in Tokke, Telemark, in June 2000. Two persons, one former hang-around and one prospect
in Hells Angels MC in Stavanger, were convicted of murder. The judgement states that the murder was an internal conflict in connection with selling drugs. One male was found seriously injured after a
kidnapping and severe cruelty, 2 March 2002. The murder of a well-known debt collector in Oslo in December 2000 in the club premises for the Untouchables MC Oslo.
56 Examples of such conduct can also be found in other gang-based crime. The Courts Act section 125 allows for exclusion of gang members from the courthouse.
18
19
5 Overall threat
strengthened ties open the door to investment and
money laundering opportunities for the motorcycle
clubs, and disloyal servants in the financial markets
receive access to the clubs’ international network
and members. To date, no one percenters have been
convicted of money laundering in Norway.
Corruption and «political» coercion are utilised
by the clubs. The police in the USA, Canada and
England have seized information which substantiates the claim that the clubs intend to influence
politicians to make beneficial decisions, for example
countering proposals for the prohibition of insignia
on jackets, (color prohibition), club premises and the
like.
In order to recruit disloyal servants among the
police, tax authorities, estate agents or banking
industry, the clubs appear to make use of so-called
honey traps.57 Other groups of persons who may
be of interest to the motorcycle gangs are doctors,
lawyers or weapon makers.
Information exists indicating that members have
attempted to fraudulently gain social security benefits, including unemployment benefits and sickness
allowance using proforma employment in enterprises owned by «brothers».58 In such an instance, it
can be beneficial for the members to have access to
doctor’s certificates.
4.5 Summary
How would society view a public limited company
if the Managing Director, board members and
shareholders were criminals, and where the company made use of its organisation and activities to
facilitate criminal actions? Would society distinguish
between the company and its members?
To a certain degree, the clubs can be treated as
individual legal entities,59 ref. the registration of the
trademark for Hells Angels. However, they are not
public limited companies or companies with limited
(economic) liability. The clubs are mergers which
represent the sum of the ideas of the individual
members. The club lifestyle is a central aspect
for all members - at least initially. The lifestyle of a
one percenter implies per definition a breach with
the laws and regulations of society in general. And
even if the individual member does not commit
criminal actions, he knows that a clear majority
of other «brothers» are bound to commit a crime.
He also knows that his membership is supporting
such activities: He will support his «brother» in all
instances and he and the other members make up a
network which is utilised by the criminal members.
When this club lifestyle is combined with criminality,
the result is ideologically motivated crime, which can
be extremely dangerous. This type of crime, when
placed within good organisational boundaries, is
challenging to prevent, partly because it is so difficult
to gain any influence over the individual member
and his environment.
57 Ref. for example NRK documentary, Brennpunkt 18 May 2010.
58 Swedish police have informed that several of the members in Hells Angels MC Stockholm claim disability allowance. This is thought to be attributed to the fixed monthly
amounts they can claim via such schemes.
59 That is as legal persons.
Some may claim that the one percenter clubs are
not criminals, or that the crimes they commit do
not represent a threat to society. Current motorcycle gang crime normally involves debt collection by
force, extortion, drug trafficking etc. However, as
they have become more established within society,
with their ideology and good organisation, the clubs
have developed a substantial potential for criminal
acts. In the future, the motorcycle gangs can represent an even greater threat. From such a perspective,
it is reasonable to fear situations which far exceed
the «Nordic MC war» in severity. It is therefore essential to target our efforts against current motorcycle
gangs, in order to safeguard future society.
Recruitment both in Norway and abroad has been
substantial, and there is no reason to believe that this
growth will stop. Recruitment to the clubs appears
to result from an ongoing power struggle between
the major clubs for members and criminal markets.
The expansion there remains foreseeable. At the
same time as the clubs grow, we can identify strengthened relationships between the clubs and other
criminals, for example ethnic minority gangs. The
motorcycle gangs’ collaboration with other criminal
networks and groups makes combating such crime
all the more difficult.
The clubs’ utilisation of support networks in order
to commit crimes implies that more crimes can be
committed than if it were only the clubs who were
behind the criminal actions. At the same time, the
networks provide a distance between the clubs and
the primary offences, which makes the clubs less
vulnerable to police efforts. A trend has also emerged
whereby the criminal members do not necessarily
involve other «brothers» in the club. This provides an
even greater distance to the club, and the club is also
less vulnerable should the crime be detected.
With the expansion of the clubs, the competition
for criminal markets and recruitment can only be
expected to increase. This presents the risk of open
conflict between the clubs and/or other criminals,
for example Mafia-like networks from East Europe.
It is assumed that such open conflict will primarily
only affect the criminal groups. However, such
conflicts could have an impact on society at large, for
example the bombing in Drammen.
Crimes committed by the motorcycle gangs over
the years have generated sufficient gain to finance
their lifestyle. The level of crime has now reached
such a volume that only a part of the overall gain is
spent, while the rest is invested. There are therefore
sufficient grounds on which to assume that the clubs
will continue to combine legal and illegal activities in
order to invest profits. The common trend is that the
clubs work on further developing relationships with
legal parties within business and commerce. This
type of development safeguards the clubs’ finances,
flexibility and position within society. It also implies
that the police forces have to extend their efforts to
cover the entire range of activities in which the clubs
are involved - and not just the individual cases of
trafficking or violence.
The growth and dispersion of the interests of the
clubs may give rise to an increase in internal conflicts, which may open the door to the police force
and cooperating authorities so they can gain more
information. By gaining access to an increased level
of intelligence, the police will have much more opportunity to remain ahead of developments.
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6 The police force’s strategic goals and initiatives
Outlaw motorcycle gangs represent a threat to
society and must as such be combatted. These efforts
must focus on the organisation and the networks, not
just on the crimes committed by these networks. The
main philosophy is as follows: By fighting against the
basic organisation and thus the platform for criminal
activities, we limit the opportunity to commit crimes
- and get away with it. The strategic goals for the
police force’s efforts are
1. to reduce the number of existing outlaw motorcycle gangs
2. to prevent recruitment
3. to prevent the establishment of new outlaw
motorcycle gangs
The measures listed in this report are not exhaustive.
Local analyses may indicate the need to supplement
these with further measures.
6.1 Analyses of motorcycle gangs
The police shall pay particular attention to remaining
fully informed of and analysing the growth of motorcycle gangs. If new chapters, clubs or support groups
are established, these shall be analysed. The analysis
shall explain how the establishment occurred, how
the police attempted to prevent it and why the police
were not successful in preventing it. The analysis
shall be submitted to Kripos and the National Police
Directorate.
6.2 Regional collaboration
Along with Kripos, the police districts in Oslo,
Rogaland and Sør-Trøndelag have worked for a number of years against motorcycle gangs. They have
extensive knowledge of the motorcycle gang phenomenon and relevant local situations, and therefore
form a natural starting point for the reinforcement
of collaboration between the police districts. The
regional collaboration partners shall maintain close
contact with Kripos and local personnel.
6.3 Continuation of the motorcycle manual
developed by Kripos
In 2006, Kripos completed a manual regarding motorcycle gangs and a manual for patrol cars, as part of
the collaboration between police and customs in the
Nordic countries (PTN). This manual provides a solid
basis for further development. A new manual shall
provide readers with the knowledge required and an
understanding of how the police can best combat the
motorcycle gangs. The target group for the manual
will be all parts of the police force and prosecution
authorities involved in this field, who need facts and
legal knowledge of the fight against outlaw motorcycle gangs. One main goal for the manual is to
shed sufficient light on the phenomenon so as to
allow for initiatives towards legislative amendments.
The manual will be updated when required and at
least once a year.
6.4 Kripos as coordinator for collaboration
regarding motorcycle gangs
Kripos forms the national hub for intelligence on
motorcycle gangs, and helps the police forces in
Norway gain contacts abroad. Kripos also possesses
specialised knowledge in Norway regarding outlaw
motorcycle gangs. There is now a requirement to
further develop the intelligence function carried out
by Kripos and the organisation’s professional area
of responsibility, so that Kripos is better equipped to
keep the police force fully informed. Kripos may provide updates on the basis of specific cases, as general
information or in the form of principal documents
such as trend reports and threat analyses.
6.5 Police force collaboration with public and
private bodies
The police force and prosecution authorities should
not bear the entire burden of combating outlaw motorcycle gangs. The crimes committed by these gangs
affect entire communities. The police force must therefore extend and strengthen its collaboration with
all sectors of society able to take part in such efforts.
The most obvious and relevant partners for the
police among public bodies are the municipalities.
They are involved for example in the establishment
of club premises and in controlling licences to sell
alcohol. Experience shows that there are often irregularities in the identification and build of the gangs’
motorcycles, such that the Norwegian Driver and
Vehicle Licensing Agency could use such information during vehicle inspections. The prison service
has custody of motorcycle gang members in jail and
serving sentences, and therefore has good access to
information. The teams working on tax and social
security fraud will be able to provide extensive intelligence and reports.
Voluntary organisations in Hokksund have compiled
a manifesto of values, based on former so-called
Nazi concerts and parades. Norwegian politicians
are committed to following this manifesto. There
is a majority agreement among Norwegian politicians that the establishment of an international
outlaw motorcycle gang goes against this manifesto
of values. The fact that the inhabitants in an entire
municipality stood behind the police and waited for
them to take action was decisive for the outcome of
the case.
22
23
Private, law-abiding parties who are in direct contact
with members of outlaw motorcycle gangs are for
example banks, insurance companies, contractors
and workmen. Cooperation with bars and restaurants has also provided satisfactory results with the
introduction of colour prohibition, where club members are denied access to bars etc. if they are wearing
their club uniform. It is a known fact that the clubs
have a practice which dictates that uniforms cannot
be taken off voluntarily.
Even if an outlaw motorcycle gang is not established
within an individual municipality/region, it is necessary to introduce the measures required to combat
any future attempts at establishment. The growth of
such clubs over the past decade indicates that it is
wise to be prepared.
6.6 Focus on opportunities and not limitations
Prison sentences for members of outlaw motorcycle
gangs and their supporters appear to have a limited
individual and general preventative effect. This is a
phenomenon which emerges with criminal groups
with an ideological aspect, such as hate crime and
political and religious fundamentalism.
However, measures which are effective are those
which attack the clubs’ lifestyle, ideals and motivation to commit crime. The consequences of such
actions are very negative for the clubs and their
lifestyle. At the top of the list of effective measures
are those which target the network, for example
imposing responsibility on the club or chapter as
such60 or on the members because they are members61. Examples of such measures may be seizure
of the «club’s» funds62 and licences to sell alcohol,
or injunctions to move premises, take down fences,
video cameras etc.
Second on the list of effective measures which the
police can utilise are those which target membership
of the clubs, for example confiscation of “colors”
and driving licences, blocking of access to the club
premises63 etc.
As seizure claims against criminal members are of
significant importance for the police force’s efforts, it
is essential to track the finances of motorcycle gangs
as part of intelligence work.64 Seizure prevents the
member in question or the club from profiting from
crime. Furthermore, it is important to intercept
offences which may result in civil actions. By making
full use of all the instruments provided by legislation,
the police force will be able over time to curb the
level of motivation among outlaw members.
Police and legal court cases receive substantial
coverage in the media. We see frequent reports on
motorcycle gangs in the media. This is the type of
news which sells, and subjects such as police, legal
offences, right and wrong attract the interest and
involvement of society at large. By maintaining
transparency and a high level of professionalism, the
police force inspires confidence and trust, providing
an increased sense of safety and stronger bonds between the general public and the police. The police
force therefore requires a strategic approach to the
media, helping ensure the general public receive sufficient and correct information on crimes committed
by motorcycle gangs.
When key figures from such gangs are identified, the
police are able to introduce specific countermeasures
in the form of so-called targeting.
7 Evaluation of the report and crime-fighting efforts
A description of the follow-up of this report by the
police districts and special units shall be provided
in the National Police Directorate’s annual report.
A separate template will be prepared for the above.
The National Police Directorate will carry out an
intermediate and final evaluation, focusing on central issues, including the following:
• What have the police done to reach the
strategic goals of the report?
• What is the assessment of the measures in the
report to reach these goals?
• How should the report be formatted in order to
strengthen the crime-fighting efforts of the police
force?
• What results have been achieved during the period?
60 Ref. Penal Code section 48a.
61 Ref. Penal Code section 60a.
62 For example, the club’s “Defence Fund”.
63 Ref. for example the Criminal Procedure Act section 222b.
64 www.nrk.no reported on 19 April 2010 that members of Hells Angels are in control of 60 companies, and that every third member/every third hang-around owns his own
company or is a shareholder involved in a corporate entity as managing director or board member..