AK81
- For the seaplane base with code AK81, see Amook Bay Seaplane Base.
| Founded | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Founded by | Jørn Nielsen |
| Founding location | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Years active | 2007-present |
| Territory | Nationwide |
| Ethnicity | Danish |
| Membership (est.) | 300[1] |
| Allies | Hells Angels |
| Rivals | Immigrant gangs (especially the gang from Blågårdsplads) |
AK81 is a street gang in Denmark. It is a support gang (called puppet clubs by law enforcement[2][3]) of the Hells Angels, but members are not required to own a motorcycle or wear a patch. Because of this, and due to high-running racial tensions, they are recruiting much faster than the Hells Angels in Denmark. AK stands for "Altid Klar", which is Danish for Always Ready, and 81 is synonymous with the letters HA.[4] The gang was formed in 2007 to combat The International Club and other immigrant street gangs in a feud over the lucrative illegal hashish market. This means that they essentially provide muscle for the Hells Angels.[5] Police estimate that they have around three hundred members.[1]
On August 14, 2008, Osman Nuri Dogan, a 19-year-old ethnic Turk was shot and killed by an AK81 member in Tingbjerg.[6] Later that year, on October 8, there was a shoot-out between AK81 members and a group of immigrants in Nørrebro, Copenhagen, during which one man was injured. An AK81 man began shooting at a group of immigrant gang members, who took cover before calling for back-up who arrived carrying guns.[7] The next day, immigrant gang members attacked AK81 members in Odense which led to the police arresting fourteen people.[8] The violence has also gone beyond the streets and into prisons. In August 2009, a mass brawl between immigrant gangs and Hells Angels broke out at Vridsløselille Prison.[9] And on August 12, 2009, three men linked to AK81 and the Hells Angels were jailed for beating up two immigrants at a club in Hellerup in April of that year.[10]
References
- ^ a b Hells Angels arming themselves for war Archived July 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Barker, Tom (September 2005), "One Percent Biker Clubs -- A Description", Trends in Organized Crime, vol. 9, no. 1, Springer New York, pp. 101–112, doi:10.1007/s12117-005-1005-0, ISSN 1084-4791,
Puppet Clubs. In addition to the Big 5 and the Independent clubs there are also "puppet" clubs that do the bidding of the larger clubs, act as potential recruiting sources, serve as cannon fodder in the wars between clubs, and give a portion of their illegal gains to the larger club. The Red Devils MC is well known as a puppet club for the HAMC as are the Black Pistons MC as a puppet club for the Outlaws. The Outlaw Nation and the Bandido Nation list their puppet clubs on their national websites.
- ^ The Vancouver Sun (May 28, 2006), "Police fear club linked to Hells Angels", The Vancouver Sun, archived from the original on April 19, 2008
- ^ Hells Angels in Denmark Archived 2009-09-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ AK81, Denmark's newest gang Archived 2010-07-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Gang war combatants on speaking terms Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Gunfight in Nørrebro Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Member of the Hells Angels AK81 support group was beaten with a baseball bat. Archived February 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ AK81 fight immigrants in Vridsløselille Statsfængsel Archived 2009-08-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ AK81 members jailed for assault[permanent dead link]