Dutch motorcycle gang Satudarah MC is reportedly in the advanced stages of making a move to Denmark, sparking concerns that a new gang war may be in the offing.
“We have been aware of Satudarah MC for some time now and we are following their activities closely,” Tormod Christensen, a deputy inspector for Rigspolitiets Nationale Efterforskningscenter, the police division responsible for crime prevention and international investigations, told the tabloid Ekstra Bladet. “The club has expressed a desire to establish itself in Denmark and we have information that shows they are in contact with criminal organisations in Denmark with the intent of starting a chapter.”
The gang wants to set up in the Zealand region and information obtained from one of its websites, which include one specifically for a 'east coast Denmark' chapter, suggested the recruiting process was well underway.
“2 our brothers from east coast Denmark, welcome to the black & yellow family bro's!!!,” one message on a Satudarah MC website stated.
Christensen said it was uncertain how the established motorcycle gangs would react to Satudarah MC moving in.
According to its website, Satudarah MC has close ties with Bandidos and listed its main rivals as Hells Angels. Hells Angels and Bandidos, despite their differences, have agreed to prevent foreign-based gangs from setting up in Denmark. Should Satudarah MC move in, the police fear it would spell the start of a new gang war.
Satudarah MC was founded in the Dutch town of Moorderecht in 1990 by immigrants with ties to the former Dutch island colony Maluku, in Indonesia.
The club has 800 members in the Netherlands, and has successfully established itself in Spain, Germany, Belgium, Indonesia and Malaysia, while there are also reports of attempts to establish chapters in Norway.
The gang is known in the Netherlands for criminal activity including drug dealing, weapons possession and extortion.
