Berlin police search properties in large raid on firearms crime

Berlin police carried out a large raid on Monday evening as part of efforts against firearms crime, organised crime and illegal gun owners. The Hells Angels motorcycle club was also a focus. According to the Tagesspiegel, around 300 officers searched nine apartments belonging to suspects and a Hells Angels clubhouse in Biesdorf, in the east of the city. One of the sites was in Brandenburg.

Police spokesman Florian Nath said Berlin's Special Deployment Command and federal police special forces took part. The Tagesspiegel reports that this means the GSG 9. Nath said the searches began shortly after 7 p.m. and that everything centred on firearms crime. He also said there is overlap between the bikers and criminal groups. Officers arrived at the clubhouse with an armoured vehicle. Apartments were searched in Neukölln, Mitte, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Pankow, Lichtenberg and Treptow-Köpenick, including homes of people considered part of the Hells Angels or their circle.

The operation was led by "Ferrum", a special unit of the state criminal police office formed last autumn, which has about 110 officers. Police say it has opened more than 720 investigations as of 23 October, of which 483 relate directly or indirectly to firearms crime. In the first half of 2026, police recorded 585 offences involving firearms, including 324 threats and 261 shots fired. Police now face the task of evaluating the evidence.