The Cologne police have announced that they will act harder against rival rocker bands in the future. Clashes between the groupings endanger the public authority in the city according to estimation of the authority at present.
"In the middle of Cologne streets is fired with high-profile weapons," said police chief Uwe Jacob. "As if we were here in the Wild West is rumgeballert here." Outsiders are not taken into consideration. It is a "lucky coincidence that no one has ever died", said Klaus-Stephan Becker, Head of the Crime Directorate.
It is about an ever-expanding conflict between Bandidos and Hells Angels. These are not rockers in the true sense, but criminal gangs who pursued tangible economic interests. The gangs are "clearly dominated by migrants". The members came in part from Turkey, Kosovo and North Africa.
"We will be very robust against these associations"
There have already been first searches, said Jacob. In addition, you will control more. It would use civilian detectives and experienced investigators from the field of organized crime. An important point is also the financial investigation. It is about the money and expensive cars of the gang members. "We will be very robust against these associations," said Jacob. "We will not tolerate that it continues in Cologne as before."
On Friday, the police had arrested after shooting in downtown Cologne, a 29-year-old armed rocker, as it says in a message from the police. In the evening, strangers would then have shot at a busy games room in the district Buchheim. Only by chance nobody was hurt.