ELEVEN people have been arrested in a series of police raids against suspected organised criminal gangs.

Four men and two women from the Peterlee, Shotton Colliery and Wingate areas of east Durham were arrested on Thursday.

And yesterday, a further five men were arrested in Wingate, Horden and Peterlee.

The suspects are aged from their mid-20s to mid-50s.

Durham Police also seized £20,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The arrests were part of Operation Sledgehammer, the force’s drive to tackle organised crime by arresting suspects and seizing criminal assets.

Officers based at Peterlee, working with trading standards officers and Environment Agency officials, also raided two commercial premises as part of the operation.

Ten suspects were held on suspicion of being involved in illegal car dealing activity, including vehicle disposal and suspected “crash for cash” insurance fraud.

An 11th person, a woman in her mid-20s from Wingate, was questioned on suspicion of possessing class A drugs.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jane Spraggon said: “Operation Sledgehammer is about tackling people suspected of being involved in a network of criminal activity.

“This activity could include money laundering, drug-related crime, fraud and importing counterfeit goods.

“The operation is another opportunity to remind the law-abiding public how they can play their part in dismantling criminal networks.

“We’re asking people to report any suspicions.”

She added: “If someone with no obvious source of legitimate income appears to have a lavish lifestyle, let us know and we’ll do the rest.

“Don’t ignore it, report it.”

Five people released on police bail, while the rest are still being questioned.

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Bandidos, Hells Angels and other criminal motorcycle gangs have ramped up their expansion in Sweden, while at the same time gaining a foothold in Europe.

Bandidos, Hells Angels and other criminal biker gangs that are already established in Sweden are becoming more firmly entrenched in Europe as the creation of new gangs accelerates in the country.

While many criminal motorcycle gangs are already well-established in Sweden, a new wave of expansion is underway, driven by growth within the Hells Angels, Bandidos and Outlaws.

"In the last three years, Hells Angels has started five new divisions in Eskilstuna, Norrköping, Luleå, Uppsala and a new division in Stockholm. Previously, it took them 10 years to start up so many new divisions, so the curve has risen steeply," said Lasse Wierup, a journalist, author and expert on motorcycle gangs told the TT news agency.

Part of the reason is that a new international motorcycle club, the Outlaws, has established itself in Sweden. For example, HA's new division in Uppsala was a response to the Outlaws' establishment there.

Wierup estimates that there are 300 to 400 full members of motorcycle clubs and as many supporters who live by what Wierup calls the "one-percenter culture".

What sets the so-called "one-percenters" apart is their desire to isolate themselves from society and live by their own rules and laws, wherein which 99 percent of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens.

"Expansion builds up the one-percenter culture," said Wierup.

Hells Angels is the largest motorcycle club in Sweden boasting 12 divisions. The Swedish Hells Angles have also recently overtaken the number of Danish divisions.

"They are the most organized, have the best discipline and the lowest member turnover. They also dedicate themselves to the most sophisticated crimes that bring in the most money, hire illegal workers in the construction industry and engage in drug trafficking, money laundering and extortion," Wierup said.

Bandidos has eight or nine divisions, engages in the most violent crime and does not bring in a lot of money. Newcomer the Outlaws, with a handful of divisions, consists mainly of "ordinary family men" and do not yet pose any criminal problems, according to Wierup.

Police reaction suggests that it has been easiest to intervene against violent criminals within Bandidos. Hells Angels is more vigilant and the most difficult to combat.

"The police have begun to cooperate with other authorities such as the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) and the Swedish Enforcement Administration (Kronofogden) and that has made life tougher for gang members. It also protects the extortion victims more now than before. However they should perhaps work more pro-actively [in prevention]," said Wierup.

In Europe, biker gang expansion is taking place mainly in eastern Europe and Turkey.

According to European police organisation Europol, there are now more criminal motorcycle gangs in Europe, with 425 subdivisions, than in the United States, which have about 300.

In the last five years, 120 new subdivisions have launched in Europe.

In addition, European motorcycle gangs have also become larger than those in than North America, where biker gang culture originated.

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With his long-awaited biography, 'Life,' just days away from publication, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has been dropping some tantalising hints of what to expect -- and the book contains more than just Richards' love of the open G tuning.

Speaking to AnOtherMan magazine, the guitarist affectionately known as "Keef" has revealed that he frequently carried firearms when copping heroin at the height of his addiction in the 1970s. He said, "The first [gun] I bought was a Luger I picked up in the East Village in New York City. After that I went into rifles for a bit just because they go further."

He continued, "I've carried a piece or two now and again -- most of that was to do with the heroin business and being involved in, like, scoring. Especially in America, it bodes you well to be armed.

"A .38 Smith and Wesson Airweight revolver -- that is the f---ing gun. No safety [catch] on it."

Richards also makes mention of three-day drug-fuelled road trip around Britain with the Beatles' John Lennon -- but the details are understandably sketchy.

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Outlaw Motorcycle Gang member will appear in court today charged with conspiracy to murder following investigations into the shooting of Peter Zervas last March.

On 29 March 2009, Hells Angels member Peter Zervas was shot a number of times as he got out of his car in the driveway of his home at Lakemba.

Strike Force Mezen, comprising officers from the State Crime Command’s Gang Squad, was formed to investigate the shooting and, about 2pm yesterday, detectives attended a unit in Aurora Place at Redfern.

A 28-year-old man, who police will allege is a member of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, was arrested at the premises and taken to Redfern Police Station.

He was charged with conspiracy to murder and participate in criminal group and refused bail to appear in Parramatta Bail Court today.

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