Hells Angels vs. Bremen Mongols: Biker War Feared in Germany

Oct. 21,2010— -- Members of a notorious Kurdish clan in Bremen have founded a new chapter of the Mongols motorcycle club and are challenging the Hells Angels in the city. The police fear a new biker war may be just around the corner.

The last movement in the life of novice motorcyclist Mustafa B. was a twist of his right hand. His red Honda Fireblade, which had a 178-horsepower engine and a top speed of 290 km/h (180 mph), accelerated with a roar and shot past the cars. Seconds later, the biker smashed into a tree. He died at the scene of the accident, a four-lane street in the northwestern German city of Bremen. A statement later issued by the police blandly stated that "no third party was to blame."

Nevertheless, investigators took a particularly close look at the victim's motorbike to check for possible sabotage. After all, 38-year-old Mustafa B., who was Kurdish, was considered a leading light in Bremen's organized crime circles. The police therefore had good reasons to suspect that some people might have had a vested interest in his demise.

Mustafa B. had challenged the Hells Angels, the legendary bikers' club. Members of the Hells Angels have long been believed to play an important role in the city's underworld. In August, Mustafa B. and almost two dozen members of his clan had founded a local chapter of the Mongols, an international motorcycle club. It was the first time in Germany that members of a Muslim immigrant clan which is believed to be involved in organized crime have been active in this area.

Investigators in Bremen now fear the move will herald the outbreak of another bloody biker war that could quickly spread to other cities. Another, no less comforting, possibility is that the Hells Angels and the Kurdish gang will join forces. "We're keeping an eye on both developments with great concern," says Bremen police detective Harald Habethal.

One thing is certain: The immigrants are not interested in emulating an "Easy Rider"-type lifestyle. According to investigators, the new bikers have neither motorbikes nor the requisite motorcycle license. Whenever they cruise through Bremen's downtown area, they drive powerful cars. Mustafa B. was the only member of the clan who had actually gotten his license, two weeks before his untimely death. "We suspect that the members of ethnic clans are interested in developing new structures and trading channels," says Andreas Weber, the head of Bremen's State Office of Criminal Investigation. The Mongols are believed to be involved in drug dealing in the US and southern Europe. The Bremen Mongols could therefore have much to gain from cooperation with gangs elsewhere.