A 14-month, multi-jurisdiction investigation into a drug trafficking network has led to 195 charges for 15 alleged “outlaw” motorcycle gangs members, according to police.
On Wednesday, investigators from five different Ontario police forces revealed Project Skylark, a high-level drug trafficking investigation that targeted members of notorious bike gangs, including the Hells Angels Nomads, the Red Devils MC and the Hooligans MC.
In a press conference, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Superintendent Bryan MacKillop and representatives from the project’s partner agencies said 18 search warrants were executed on August 1 at locations in the Niagara Region, Sudbury, Ottawa and the town of Blind River.
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MacKillop said the suspect gangs facilitated the trafficking of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout the Niagara Region, Sudbury and Ottawa area.
Officers from the OPP’s crime enforcement bureau (OCEB), Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS), Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS), Ottawa Police Service and Hamilton Police Service were involved in the investigation, as well as the OPP’s emergency response team (ERT) and OPP tactics and rescue unit (TRU), according to MacKillop.
“The effort that day included eight tactical teams and involved approximately 200 officers that spanned the province,” said MacKillop.
In the raids, police seized large quantities of cocaine valued at over $1 million, illegal cannabis, shatter, cannabis edibles, hundreds of fentanyl patches with a street value of about $2 a patch, and methamphetamine tablets.
Also seized were Hells Angels and Red Devils MC patches, 11 firearms, 700 rounds of ammunition, over $100,000 in cash and jewelry, multiple vehicles — including three motorcycles — and one residence.
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MacKillop revealed the identity of a number of the 15 accused, including full-patch members of the Hells Angels Nomads, the Red Devils MC and the Hooligans MC.
All are facing charges connected to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), the Criminal Code of Canada and the Cannabis Act.
“These individuals would not have formed criminal networks without their association with the Hells Angels, the Red Devils or the Hooligans,” said MacKillop. “The vetting process to become a member of these criminal enterprises is what allows them to form the relationships that their criminal activities are based off.”
The accused are still in police custody and are expected to appear in a Sudbury court at various times and dates.
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