Nationalist Russian biker group "Night Wolves" drive in front of Russian consulate in Bonn
Bad Godesberg · Members of the notorious biker club “Night Wolves" drove up in front of the Russian Consulate General in Schweinheim - after a threatening letter with a white powder was received there. The State Criminal Police Office confirmed the incident.
Only one day after many units of the fire department and police were called to the Russian Consulate General in Schweinheim - where a suspicious letter had been received - members of a Russian biker group drove up in front of the consulate on Saturday, March 5. According to information from the "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger" (KSTA), they are said to have been members of the notorious Russian biker group “Night Wolves". The motorcyclists positioned themselves in front of the entrances to the consulate, according to an internal situation report of the State Criminal Police Office (LKA). Up until the beginning of the week, the LKA had already recorded 49 crimes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Among the offenses in the LKA report were incitement of the people, damage to property, extortion and robbery - and also the letter to the consulate. One third of the victims were said to be Russians.
“Night Wolves" in Bonn: Ten motorcyclists in front of Russian Consulate General.
The nationalist biker club is closely associated with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. The LKA confirmed to our editorial staff the incident at the consulate, but did not comment further. Robert Scholten, spokesman for the Bonn police, said that ten people were involved, and they wear wearing vests. He did not say that it was the "Night Wolves", however. The bikers were noticed during a patrol. All were "very cooperative”, and identifications were checked. Moreover, the consulate tolerated the presence of the bikers. "Around 3:50 p.m., the group drove via Bad Godesberg back towards the autobahn," Scholten said. The biker group stayed for around an hour in front of the consulate. Police say there was no crime committed.
Neighborhood reports the biker group
The bikers had also been noticed by those living in the neighborhood of the Consulate General. "I was in the yard and suddenly heard loud engine noises," reported a resident who rushed to the street in the early afternoon because of the commotion. "There were maybe ten or fifteen big motorcycles." At first, according to the man, they drove in the direction of the rear consulate entrance, which is located in the direction of Waldkrankenhaus, but then "quickly turned around" and drove away again. What the resident didn't realize was that the bikers then stopped at the front entrance of the consulate general, as a neighbor told GA. "Yes, there was a motorcycle gang there," she said. "They stood there for quite some time. The police were there quite quickly as well." Another resident reported that many motorcyclists had worn "orange club vests.”
Investigation into letter to Russian Consulate in Bonn still ongoing
According to the LKA, the investigation into the letter is still ongoing, but the LKA spokeswoman told our editorial office on Friday that no further comment would be made. As reported, the consulate had received a letter from which a white powder trickled out. Experts from the Bonn and Cologne fire departments were able to determine after several hours that it presented no danger. According to information provided to our editorial office, it was a detergent.
Orig. text: Maximilian Mühlens, Jonas Dirker
Translation: ck
