A sweeping police crackdown on organized crime has led to upwards of 30 arrests and some 40 raids across Quebec in the last week, authorities said Thursday.
Quebec provincial police’s update comes amid an alleged turf war between criminal groups that has turned bloody over the sale of drugs in eastern parts of the province. This includes the Quebec City area, the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region, the Lower St-Lawrence and the North Shore.
“Our message is clear, we will not accept such violent behaviour in Quebec,” said provincial police chief-insp. Michel Patenaude.
Violence has escalated in recent weeks as a street gang known as the Blood Family Mafia refused to pay a cut of drug sales to notorious biker gang the Hells Angels, according to criminologist Maria Mourani. Police have identified Dave Turmel as the BFM’s leader, though he is alleged to have fled to Europe last summer.
The dispute led to a a hostage-taking incident where a man was killed and three others were injured in St-Malachie, Que., just south of Quebec City. Other people linked to the conflict have been kidnapped and tortured, authorities said.
The police crackdown known as Opération Scandaleux began late last week. Charges range from torture and mutilation to drug trafficking.
“A lot of people we have arrested were involved in drug trafficking and the violent acts,” Patenaude said.
Police also seized firearms, high-capacity magazines and narcotics as part of the raids.
— with files from Global’s Mike Armstrong and The Canadian Press