New Zealand Hells Angels gangster arrested in Spain for conspiracy to traffic cocaine to US

A notorious drug dealer and member of the New Zealand Hells Angels gang has been arrested in Spain's Madrid for allegedly planning to smuggle hundreds of kilogrammes of cocaine into the United States of America. The drug dealer, identified as Murray Michael Matthews alias Angelo, was on the run from law enforcement agencies of several countries for over two years.

Angelo had been arrested in November 2020 in Romania with another New Zealand Hells Angels member Marc Johnson. The latter is still absconding. Johnson was tracked after he got in touch with an US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undercover agent.

New Zealand news portal Stuff confirmed Murray Michael Matthews alias Angelo's identity after speaking to New Zealand Police National Organised Crime Group Director Detective Superintendent Greg Williams. The top cop revealed that New Zealand Police had been working with the forces of three countries - Spain, the US and the United Kingdom - to track New Zealand Hells Angels' gangsters including Angelo.


Guardia Civil (Spanish Civil Guard) posted some details about the operation to arrest Angelo on its official YouTube channel. The video stated that Angelo, who is also wanted by the police in New Zealand, was arrested as part of operations codenamed “Fontana” and “Correcaminos”.

Angelo was using several false identities and forged documents from France and Slovakia to evade the police, the video added.

The Spanish police got a tip off about a Hells Angels party in Madrid following which a raid was carried out and the Zealand fugitive was identified.

Police officers cornered Angelo on a motorway exit and arrested him. He is currently awaiting extradition to the US.

New Zealand Police describe New Zealand Hells Angels as a violent outlaw group with its members operating in many countries around the world.