Hells Angels-style biker gangs recruit combat-ready ex squaddies after van kill

Hells Angels-style biker gangs are signing up former squaddies to boost their ranks.

The crime outfits are said to give them a sense of belonging – and leaders value their combat skills.

Earlier this month, three ex-servicemen who joined a chapter of the notorious Bandidos were convicted of killing a biker spotted on their “patch”.

READ MORE: 'Dangerous' murderer who escaped jail is tracked down after 200-mile manhunt

Benjamin Parry, 42, Chad Brading, 36, and Thomas Pawley, 32, from the Bandidos’ Plymouth group were jailed for the manslaughter of David Crawford, 59.

Mr Crawford, of the Cornwall-based Red Chiefs, was hit from behind by a van on a slip road in the Devon city and dragged for almost 1km.

A former detective in the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, who asked not to be named, said biker gangs represent “a big draw” for struggling veterans.

He said: “People who have fought for their country possess all the attributes biker gangs prize.”

One Afghanistan vet told us how he joined a chapter of the Bandidos. He said: “I was struggling with my mental health and severely lacking any kind of direction or purpose.

“There were a few things I had to do to show my worth – let’s just say you have to earn their trust.

• 

  'Getting off drugs was worse than prison – I tried to inject heroin and meth in my penis'

“It’s now a common path for ex-squaddies. You get a sense of being part of something again.”

In other news, The Daily Star reported last week how a motorcycle gang member arrested over an illegal tattoo told police his make-up must have rubbed off.

Brendan Luke Sacca is a member of the outlawed Mongols Motorcycle Club – an international group based in Southern California but with affiliate branches worldwide.

Sacca, has a tattoo of the gang’s name on his forehead. Under strict new laws introduced to crack down on organised crime groups it’s illegal in Western Australia to show any gang insignia in public.

READ NEXT:

• Police in unprecedented appeal to Liverpool crime bosses after 9-year-old girl shot dead
• Isle of Skye murder: Dad shot dead trying to save others from gunman who ‘stabbed sister’
• Gunman opens fire at Nike store after gangs clash sending shoppers fleeing in terror

Source: Read Full Article