Thirteen individuals linked to the "Hells Angels" biker group have been arrested in Bulgaria as part of a joint operation by the General Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime and the Prosecutor’s Office, the Interior Ministry announced. Twelve of the detainees have already been formally charged under decrees issued by a supervising prosecutor.

The large-scale action took place on Thursday across multiple locations in the country. Among those taken into custody is a Latvian national wanted by Interpol with a red notice for drug trafficking. The remaining suspects are Bulgarian citizens, all of whom have prior criminal records. Their ages range from 37 to 67.

According to the Ministry, the organized criminal group not only committed acts of violence and intimidation but also delegated criminal tasks to others. The allegations include extortion, drug distribution, assault, and robbery.

Veliko Tarnovo District Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Iliyan Blagoev stated that the group is suspected of being responsible for a series of violent crimes, ranging from hooliganism and coercion to robbery and racketeering, often involving physical harm of moderate to severe degree.

Out of the 13 suspects, five are facing charges for participating in an organized criminal group established in 2014, which was active until this week. The remaining seven are accused of carrying out specific criminal offenses on behalf of that organization.

While the majority of those arrested are from Veliko Tarnovo and nearby areas, arrests were also made in the cities of Sofia, Varna, and Asenovgrad.