High-ranking Hells Angels member busted in drug trafficking operation in Marbella

A German-Spanish investigation, supported by Europol, targeted a criminal network involved in the trafficking of drugs and firearms. The leader of the network coordinated the criminal activities from Spain, where he had established his base. 

The investigation, initiated in mid-2023 under the General Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt, Germany, targeted a criminal network currently going by the name Bandidos. The gang are suspected of trafficking large amounts of cannabis and cocaine from Málaga, Spain, to Germany. The group also smuggled weapons along the same route. The leader of the network, a German national based in Spain, is considered a High Value Target in this investigation. Investigators from the German Federal Police and the Spanish National Police, working jointly on this case, have identified him as a high-ranking member of the outlaw motorcycle gang Hells Angels in Marbella.

During the action day on 21 March, officers from the Spanish National Police raided the ring leader’s private villa as well as his car rental business offices. Information exchanged through Europol uncovered that Romanian authorities also had a case opened against the same individual and, as a result of the international cooperation and information exchange, Romania issued a European Arrest Warrant against him in relation to their national case. Following this judicial warrant, Spanish and German officers conducted the joint action day.

Europol facilitated the exchange of information and provided support during the course of this joint investigation. Europol also provided analysis and intelligence, and coordinated operational activities. On the action day, Europol deployed an expert in the field to cross-check operational information in real time and provide experts with possible leads.

Funding through EU financial mechanisms

Officers from the Spanish National Police, supported by Europol, carried out these joint operations in partnership with Germany and Romania in line with the EU Security Union Strategy. The EU Security Union Strategy focuses on four main points: a future-proof security environment, tackling evolving threats, protecting Europeans from terrorism and organised crime, and a strong European security ecosystem. To reach these goals, the European Commission’s DG HOME, EU agencies and dedicated EU funding including the Internal Security Funds, support EU Member States in tackling criminal threats through coordinated operations that target criminal networks and their business models. The actions conducted within this framework have received co-financing from the European Union as part of the support provided to EU Member States in combatting criminal networks posing the most significant threats to the safety and security of EU citizens and the EU as a whole.