Spain - 16 Alicante and Murcia Hells Angels face judge

OFF THE WIRE
euroweeklynews.com/

FOR the first time the Levante area members of the controversial motorbike club Hells Angels face charges for being part of an alleged criminal organisation. A Torrevieja judge is prosecuting 16 of the club’s members for a list of crimes including: homicide, attempted homicide, illegal possession of weapons, armed robbery, threatening behaviour, kidnapping, illegal association, among others.
In the police operation dubbed ‘Europa’ two men were arrested last year for suspected of killing Torrevieja notary public Juan José Martínez Román in October 2009.
The arrests also led to police solving two robberies and reportedly removing the upper layer of ‘management’ Murcia and Valencia Regions Hells Angels.
Magistrate Isabel Flor has ruled out a people’s jury at the hearing because the motive behind the killing was robbery not murder.
The judge has established a link with an attempted homicide which took place in September 2009 at a villa in Pedralba (Valencia), and a second failed murder attempt at Pub Canadian in San Pedro del Pinatar in Murcia a few weeks later.
In the first case there is evidence to suggest two brothers hire a contract killer to kill their father in order to receive his inheritance. However, the weapon failed to function.
In the second case, the owner of the pub was left critically injured after being shot.
In fear for his life, he reportedly told Guardia Civil the perpetrators had been two Moroccans, after receiving threats.
The man suspected to have shot the Torrevieja notary is also thought to have participated in both these attacks while skipping parole in Leon.
Judge Flor suspects the objective of all these crimes were to finance the activities of the Hells Angels, where members have set functions and a hierarchy exists.
Meanwhile, in January police arrested four members of Hells Angels from the Alfafar (Valencia) chapter, including the club president, accused of extortion and illegal association.
Investigators believe the bikers forced from another motorcycle club in Castellon, Big Twin Spain, to pay more than €10,000 for ‘protection’ during their annual Harley Davidson rallies.