Essen, B-N.C – “Bandidos”, which is in Essen about to expand even more. In addition to the long-established “Bandidos Essen”, there are two new chapters: the “Bandidos Essen-North” and the “Bandidos Essen-East”.
President of the new “East” adapter is Chris Willing, a moving entrepreneur from Steele who is also one of the leading minds of the so-called “Steeler Jungs”. This group has been making headlines nationwide for two years with its weekly “walks”. The North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of the Interior affairs assigns the Steeler Jungs to the neonazi groups and has them on observation. Aside from himself, Chris Willing sees no connection between Bandidos Essen East and Steeler Jungs. “These are two different pairs of shoes,” says Willing.
President: “The Chapter Bottrop is only frozen, not dissolved”
The North Bandidos are new on the scene. In contrast, the “Eastern Bandidos” are only formally a new establishment. In fact, the motorcycle club is recruited them from the “frozen” but not resolved chapter Bandidos Bottrop. The decisive factor for the reorganization is the increasing support that the bandidos provide in Essen. Willing: “The Bottrop Bandidos all came from Essen.”
According to a report by the Bild newspaper, which refers to an internal paper from the State Criminal Police Office, the bandidos are by far the strongest rocker group in North Rhine-Westphalia. The number of members in the 21 local groups – as of February 2020 – had grown from 775 to 866.
The Bandidos Essen East are looking for a clubhouse
According to Willings, the Essen-East group consists of a core of 15 men and a further ten supporters and prospects. The Bandidos East and North make no secret of their existence. Both are represented on the social network Facebook, videos of excursions and photos are shown. The fact that one of these recordings was made in front of the “300” bar on Westfalenstrasse, which belongs to Willing and is also frequented by the Steeler guys, does not mean that it is the Bandidos clubhouse. “There is no official clubhouse yet, but we’re looking for it,” says Willing.
At the end of January, the police took part in a spectacular raid with 250 officers in several cities in North Rhine-Westphalia to strike against the management level of the Bandidos on the Rhine and Ruhr (“West Central”). There were several arrests. The lead public prosecutor in Hagen classifies the Hagen Chapter and middle management as a “criminal organization”.
“These bikers are connected to each other with the aim of committing crimes”, said Attorney General Gerhard Pauli. “The harmless self-image of the Bandidos, to be merely a group of friendly gentlemen riding motorcycles, is a facade”.
Bandidos Essen-East Prez: It’s about friendship, not about drug and gun deals
Essen-East President Chris Willing, on the other hand, refers to the failed attempts by the police and judiciary to ban the Bandidos. For the members of his chapter, he can safely put his hand in the fire.
“I know everyone’s surname and profession.” It was not one of them involved in drug, weapon, or pimp business. “We value friendship, cohesion and support,” emphasizes the President.
The developments in the Essen biker scene are closely monitored in the police headquarters. “The Organized Crime Department has the Bandidos and other groups on the screen,” said police spokesman Christoph Wickhorst.
The long-established Bandidos Essen have their clubhouse on Wüstenhöferstraße in Essen-Bochold.
Their annual table dance parties usually trigger a large-scale intervention by the Essen police at the beginning of the year. This year, the Westendhof officials checked 350 people and executed two arrest warrants. Last year, 600 people and 80 vehicles were checked.
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