Great Nordic Biker War
The Great Nordic Biker War refers to a feud between Hells Angels MC and Bandidos MC in Scandinavia that went from 1994 until 1997.
This war between the clubs is also sometimes referred to as either the Great Northern Biker War or the Great Scandinavian Biker War.
Of particular note was the use of anti-tank rockets in multiple attacks, which were believed to have been stolen from the Swedish Army.
Great Nordic Biker War – Leadup
Before we can understand the Great Nordic Biker War we first need to go back to the 1980s in Scandinavia.
The Hells Angels moved into Scandinavia in 1980, taking in United MC, much to the dislike of others clubs at the time. Their opponents formed an alliance and created Bullshit MC. In September 1983 Bullshit MC went to a pub owned by the Hells Angels and the result was the start of a war which lasted over two years and killed 8 Bullshit MC members, one Hells Angel and a civilian.
In 1992 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Morticians MC turned against the Hells Angels. Morticians MC later changed their name to Undertakers MC and then in 1993 were patched over by the Bandidos MC. In 1994 Hells Angels attempted to prevent Morbids MC from gaining a foothold in the area, so Morbids MC joined the Bandidos alliance and later on Outlaws MC also joined the Bandidos alliance.
Great Nordic Biker War – Clubs Involved
Other than the two main clubs involved in the battle, there were several support clubs who also played a part.
The Bandidos were believed to have approximately 130 members based in the region across 7 chapters, to the Hells Angels 290 members based in the region across 15 chapters.
- Bandidos MC
- Klan MC
- Morbids MC
- Morticians MC
- Undertakers MC
- Hells Angels MC
- Avengers MC
- Screwdrivers MC
- Untouchables MC
- Outlaws MC (allied with Bandidos MC)
Great Nordic Biker War – Timeline of Events
The following is the timeline of events of the Great Nordic Biker War:
- 1994 – 26 January, 1994. Helsingborg, Sweden. Shooting at Morbids MC clubhouse.
- 1994 – February, 1994. Helsingborg, Sweden. Shooting between Hells Angels and Bandidos MC. Hells Angel member Joakim Boman is killed.
- 1994 – February, 1994. An anti-tank rocket is fired at the Hells Angels clubhouse.
- 1994 – 22 June, 1994. Finland. The Klan MC President is shot and killed by a Hells Angels member.
- 1995 – 19 February, 1995. Oslo, Norway. Shootout between the Hells Angels MC and Bandidos MC. One person is wounded.
- 1995 – 17 July, 1995. Finland Bandidos MC President Michael “Joe” Ljunggren” is killed.
- 1995 – 17 July, 1995. Bandidos MC fire anti-tank rockets at a Hells Angels Prospect clubhouse in Helsinki, Finland.
- 1995 – 26 July, 1995. Bandidos MC fire anti-tank rockets at a Hells Angels Prospect clubhouse in Helsingborg, Sweden.
- 1995 – 25 December, 1995. Bandidos MC beat two Hells Angels MC members in a nightclub in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- 1996 – January, 1996. Screwdrivers MC’s clubhouse in Hamar, Norway is attacked in a bombing.
- 1996 – 18 January, 1996. Hells Angels Oslo, Norway clubhouse is attacked in a bombing.
- 1996 – February, 1996. Helsinki, Finland. A bar owned by the Hells Angels is bombed.
- 1996 – 1 March, 1996. Hells Angels MC attack the Bandidos MC Helsinki, Finland clubhouse. Bandidos Finland Vice President Jarkko Kokko later dies from gunshot wounds and another member is wounded.
- 1996 – 10 March, 1996. Multiple Bandidos members are attacked and wounded at Fornebu Airport in Oslo, Norway. On the same day a group of Bandidos were returning from Helsinki, Finland and were shot at Kastrup Airport, Copenhagen, Denmark. One Bandido member, Uffe Larsen, died and three others were wounded.
- 1996 – April and May, 1996. Hells Angels MC clubhouses in Helsingborg, Sweden and South Denmark are attacked. The clubhouse of Hells Angels Prospect Club Avengers MC in Aalborg, Denmark is also attacked.
- 1996 – 15 July, 1996. Bandidos member, and previously in the mid 1980s a co-founder of Sweden’s first outlaw motorcycle club White Trash MC, Jan “Face” Krogh Jensen is killed. He was riding with Swedish Bandidos President Michael Lerche Olsen, who was possibly the intended target in the shooting.
- 1996 – 28 August, 1996. The Hells Angels Sweden Vice-President is shot in Helsingborg, Sweden.
- 1996 – October, 1996. There are three attacks on Hells Angels clubhouses. The third attack, which occurred at a clubhouse in Malmö, Sweden, involved an explosion that wounded 12 bystanders. Days later an anti-tank rocket is used in an attack on a Copenhagen, Denmark clubhouse, killing Hells Angels member Louis Linde Nielsen and Janne Krohn, a guest at the party. At the end of the month a car bomb explodes outside the Oslo, Norway Hells Angels clubhouse.
- 1997 – 10 January, 1997. Hells Angels member Kim Thrysöe Svendsen is killed in Aalborg, Denmark.
- 1997 – January, 1997. Outlaws MC President Thore “Henki” Holm and an Outlaws member from France are shot and wounded by a member of Untouchables MC (ally of Hells Angels).
- 1997 – Multiple shootings occur first of Bandidos members in Amager and Køge, Denmark and then retaliation shooting of Hells Angels members in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen.
- 1997 – 4 June, 1997. A car bomb explodes outside the Bandidos Drammen, Norway clubhouse. An innocent women is driving by the clubhouse at the time and is killed in the blast. A Hells Angels member is convicted in 2002.
- 1997 – 7 June, 1997. Bandidos member Björn Gudmandsen is killed and three other Bandidos members wounded in a shooting outside a busy restaurant in the tourist town of Liseleje, Denmark.
- 1997 – 25 September, 1997. Bandidos Europe President “Big” Jim Tinndahn meets with Hells Angels Europe President Bent “Blondie” Nielsen in Denmark in front of television cameras and declare the end of the war.
At the time of the declaration of the end of the war the two groups agreed that no further chapters would be opened in enemy territory, however this agreement has since broken down, with multiple chapters being opened by both groups including Bandidos chapters in Amager and Odense in Denmark.
Great Nordic Biker War – Victims
The following numbers can only be estimated, as there were surely additional attacks which were not documented by the media.
- 11 killed, including the following:
- Civilian women (not affiliated with any club)
- Mikael “Joe” Ljunggren (Bandidos Sweden President)
- Jarkko Kokko (Bandidos Finland Vice President)
- Uffe Larsen (Bandidos Denmark member)
- Bjorn Gudmandsen (Bandidos Denmark member)
- Jan “Face” Jensen (Bandidos Norway, co-founder of White Trash MC)
- Kim Thrysöe Svendsen (Hells Angels)
- Louis Linde Nielsen (Hells Angels)
- Janne Krohn (Hells Angels party guest)
- Joakim Boman (Hells Angels)
- 74 attempted murders
- 96 wounded
Great Nordic Biker War – Arrests & Trial
Following are some of the convictions that occurred in relation to the events of the war:
- Ilkka Ukkonen and Jussi Penttinen – Hells Angels prospects found responsible for the March, 1996 Bandidos Helsinki, Finland clubhouse murders. Ilkka Ukkonen receives a 12.5 year prison term and Jussi Penttinen receives a 6 year prison term.
- Kai Tapio Blom and Antti Tauno Tapani – Members of Bandidos MC found responsible for the July, 1995 anti-tank rocket launcher attacks on Hells Angels prospect clubhouses. Kai Tapio Blom receives a 6 year prison term, Antti Tauno Tapani receives a 4 year prison term.
- Niels Poulsen – Bandidos MC prospect found responsible for the October, 1996 Hells Angels clubhouse attacks. Receives a sentence of life in prison.
- Vagn Smith – Hells Angels member found responsible for the June, 1997 murder of Björn Gudmandsen and shooting of 3 others in Liseleje, Denmark. Receives a sentence of life in prison.
Great Nordic Biker War – Rocker Act / Rockerloven
Rockerloven (English translation: The Rocker Act) was passed by the government in Denmark and came into play on 15 October, 1996. This act provides police with more power against bikers and also aims to prevent the assembly of members at their clubhouses.
An amendment was passed in June, 2003 providing even greater rights to police, including the ability to use civilian agents, monitor internet traffic including emails and also allows other types of undercover monitoring in an effort to combat organized crime.
Great Nordic Biker War – Further Conflicts
2001 – 21 March, 2001. Former Bandidos President Claus Bork Hansen is shot 26 times, dying as a result of the wounds, in Vanlose, Copenhagen, Denmark. After being thrown out of the Bandidos he had gone on to create a Red & White support club (Hells Angels support club). 4 members of Bandidos MC were later charged with the murder.
As part of the trial into the murder it was found that crisis talks had occurred between the Hells Angels and Bandidos only two days before the murder, as neither group wanted another large scale war to happen and there was a belief that Claus Bork Hansen was attempting to force their hands.
Jens Christian Thorup was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison, but was sent to a psychiatric hospital after 3 judges believed that he was mentally ill, later being transferred to a prison. The other three initially charged with the murder, “Kemo” Kent Sorensen, Karl Martin Thorup and Peter Buch Rosenburg were all acquitted.
2001 – 12 August, 2001. Flemming Jensen, who had strong connections with the Cerberus gang, was stabbed to death by members of the Hells Angels after a fight broke out in a bar in Aalborg, Denmark. Cerberus were aligned with the Bandidos however later switched to align with the Hells Angels. Flemming Jensen still had many associates on the Bandidos side and was reluctant to switch his allegiance. Hells Angels prospect Jesper Østenkær Kristoffersen later confessed to the murder and was sentenced to 6 years in prison.
Read More:
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- List of Historic Outlaw Biker Events And Massacres
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- Waco Biker Shooting
- Hollister Riot
- Lennoxville Massacre
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