Hells Angels Gun Down German Policeman

A German police officer was critically wounded this week after a Hells Angels member shot him during a house search in Germany. The incident happened during a raid related to prostitution in Anhausen, as part of the German police's offensive to put an end to illegal activities of motorcycle gangs like Hells Angels and Bandidos, The Press Association reported.

According to prosecutors, the killer fired without warning through the closed door of his apartment, killing the 42-year-old officer. Despite wearing a bullet-proof vest, the officer got hit and died of internal bleeding. German officials say the gunman, who was also wanted for robbery charges, was arrested.

The Hells Angels gang, set up in 1948 in the Fontana/San Bernardino area, is responsible in the US for transportation and distribution of cocaine, hashish, heroin, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), ecstasy, PCP (phencyclidine) and diverted pharmaceuticals. They also have been charged with assault, extortion, homicide, money laundering and motorcycle theft.

In Germany, concerns are growing that these types of illegal activities are escalating into something far more dangerous. According to German authorities, last year, an increase in joint activities between Hells Angels and neo-Nazi organizations have been reported in Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Baden-Württemberg and Hanover.

The US estimates Hells Angels consists of in between 2,000 and 2,500 members, divided in over 230 chapters in the US and in 26 foreign countries. Around 40 of those chapters can be found in Germany.