Germany news: Police raid chapters of Gremium MC biker gang
Hundreds of police officers raided sites of the Gremium MC biker gang in southwestern Germany early Thursday, as authorities outlawed three of its chapters.
Hundreds of police officers searched apartments and meeting sites for the biker group 'Gremium MC' in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg early on Thursday. The state interior ministry confirmed the operation was part of a move to outlaw three sub-chapters of the group.
Outlawed Chapters
The chapters being outlawed are based in Böblingen and Leonberg, as well as the 'Gremium MC Chapter Nomads Bosphorus Türkiye.' The latter group was highlighted as a meaningful part of Gremium MC by security officials.
The 'Nomads Bosphorus Türkiye' chapter describes itself on Facebook as a great example that 'people of different cultures and faiths can be strong together,' while featuring images of men posing with knives and other weapons.
Gremium MC prominently incorporates the symbol of the Prussian military medal for exceptional valor, the Iron Cross, which was discontinued after World War I, reintroduced by Adolf Hitler during World War II, and then scrapped for good.
Criminal Activities
Gremium MC is deemed an 'outlaw motorcycle gang' in Baden-Württemberg's latest security report, a term used for biker groups that do not recognize the state monopoly on the use of force and are often tied to organized crime.
Extortion, drug dealing and pimping in particular tend to be part of their activities.
Baden-Württemberg counts 154 biker chapters in the state with around 2,000 members. Founded in 1972 in Mannheim, various chapters of Gremium MC across the country have faced legal issues in recent years.
Previous Actions
In 2021, another chapter in the southwest, Gremium MC Southgate in Heidelberg, was outlawed on suspicion of organized crime activity. State Interior Minister Manuel Hagel was expected to make further comments later in the day in Ludwigsburg.
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