Many British tourists are “living in fear” of the Majorca chapter of the Hells Angel biker gang, according to reports. The leader of the gang’s local chapter, Frank Hanebuth, from Germany, is back on the streets after being accused of extortion.
The German biker leader of the Hells Angels was released after being previously arrested following an attack on a bar owner in the popular Playa de Palma.
The terrifying moment the bar owner was allegedly besieged by the Hells Angels was caught on CCTV.
The attack, which only took place on March 19, reportedly shows members of the infamous gang forcing their way into the restaurant bar before badly beating up the owner in full view of paying guests.
The biker gang leader allegedly told the owner: “If you want to keep the shop open, you have to pay us 10,000 euros. If you don’t pay, you’ll get in a lot of trouble.”
Hanebuth and his second-in-command release has sparked concerns among tourists and residents who worry for their safety.
The bar owner added: “The damage, apart from the physical injuries, is very large. Our customers, the vast majority of whom are German vacationers and residents, are afraid to come to our restaurant. They are afraid that there could be further robberies and attacks.”
This is not the first time Hanebuth has had a run-in with the law, as he has been reportedly ‘terrorising’ the region since he became president of the local Hells Angels chapter in 2013.
According to prosecutors, the gang receives most of its revenue from prostitution, by allegedly coercing women to work in brothels and making them undergo plastic surgery, as well as working in real estate and the drug trade.
Residents and long-time visitors to Playa de Palma have warned that biker raids are becoming a persistent problem in the sunny Spanish resort.
One German tourist told Ultima Hora, a newspaper in the Balearic Islands, that he fears the group will rule the entire area with the 6ft 5in German back in charge.
He said: “The Hell’s Angels want to rule the entire area and I get the feeling that all this is going to get worse. We knew it was going to happen again. We hope that a remedy is found.”
Since Hanebuth has led the gang, the group has been involved in a spate of criminal activities including drugs and prostitution rings.
The Majorca chapter of Hells Angels is mainly German, but also includes foreigners from the Dominican Republic and Britain.
One restaurant owner told Ultima Hora that life was becoming “unbearable” on the island resort.
He said: “They come to a bar, consume and don’t pay. If you tell them something they threaten you, it is unbearable.”
The world-famous Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was formed in the United States in 1948 and has some 5,000 members at about 350 branches around the world.
