The Bandidos motorcycle club – known for its frequent flirting with organized crime – is busy building a network for themselves in Thailand, claims the Danish Police.
In an attempt to share valuable information with his Thai colleagues, Danish detective chief commander Kim Kliver is in Bangkok these days to meet with the staff from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
For several years, Danish police have had to deal with problems sparked by the gang and its rivalry with other motorcycle gangs in Denmark. Judging from this accumulated experience about how Bandidos’ members act and operate, Mr. Kliver sees plenty of reason to now warn the DSI in Thailand.
“After I closely watched the [Bandidos’] activities in Denmark, I can see the Danish Bandidos have ordered colleagues to run Bandidos [gangs] in Thailand,” Mr. Kliver told the Bangkok Post after meeting with the DSI this week.
Consequently, the Danish detective chief commander has asked Thai authorities to keep a close watch on the Bandidos gang and their movements in the country. He also vowed to assist by training the department and developing technology in the future.
“We have experience with motorcycle crime in the Nordic countries and we want to share our experiences with the Thai side,” Mr. Kliver reportedly told the Bangkok Post.
The head of DSI’s technology office and centre for information examination, Mr. Dussadee Arayawut, said that the department welcomes the offer from Danish police to join hands with the DSI to help tackle gang-related crimes such as drug smuggling, terrorism, and human trafficking.
Malaysia May Be Next
Reportedly, Danish police have also expressed their concern that other Asian countries could become focal points for Bandidos gang members in the near future. Besides Thailand, Malaysia and certain countries in Northern Asia might soon see Bandidos move their financial activities across their borders. But for now, the DSI is still searching for the source of the Bandidos members’ finances in Thailand, Mr. Arayawut stated following the meeting with Mr. Kliver.
Neither side dared venture a guess as to how many Bandidos gang members are currently operating in Thailand, but among those arrested last month in Koh Samui was the head of the gang in Denmark, revealed Mr. Arayawut. The DSI also arrested the Danish member Kim Lindegaard Nielsen on Koh Samui back in July. He was officially charged with encroaching on public land and threatening land officials to obtain a title deed. However, those charged have yet to be proven in court.
