Norway bans local chapter of ‘criminal’ motorcycle club Satudarah

Norway’s highest court on Wednesday called the Norwegian branch of the Dutch motorcycle club Satudarah a criminal association and banned the group, saying it was necessary to prevent serious crime.

The Supreme Court ruled that participants in the club, which is known for a history of violent crimes, racketeering, illegal drug trafficking and weapons trafficking allegations, “have repeatedly committed serious offenses against a person’s life, health and liberty,” and that their actions “were suitable to cause fear among the population”.

The court added that although Satudarah describes itself as a motorcycle club and is open to ethnic minorities, participants did not need a motorcycle or driver’s license to join.

“The club also does not aim to promote multi-ethnic interests,” the club writes.

The Supreme Court also noted that the gang “describes itself as a so-called 1% club – a term normally used for motorcycle clubs that live on the fringes of society’s laws and regulations.”

Crackdown

According to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Satudarah set foot in Norway in 2014. Last year, police asked the court to ban Satudarah because of its alleged criminal activities, including drug offenses and violent clashes with other gangs.

The charges were filed under a 2021 law that allows the government to ban organizations wholesale if it can be proven they participate in crime.

Satudarah won the original case, but the government appealed, resulting in a Supreme Court ruling.

The club originated in the Netherlands, where it was founded by mainly Moluccan immigrants. The name means ‘One Blood’ in Indonesian Malay. Dutch authorities eventually banned it, as did Germany in 2015.

In neighboring Denmark, the local chapter disbanded itself in May 2023 and became Comanches MC. In Sweden, the chapter was disbanded after all members were arrested for drug-related crimes and weapons possession.

In Europe, Satudarah MC has built a local presence in Austria, Bosnia, Serbia, Belgium, France, Spain and elsewhere.