Vancouver Island men facing 41 charges in 'significant' crackdown on Hells Angels in B.C.
Four men are facing dozens of charges after a years-long drug-trafficking investigation that police say disrupted the expansion of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang on Vancouver Island.
The federal prosecution service has approved 41 criminal charges related to the investigation.
On Thursday, British Columbia's Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC) announced that an investigation that began in June 2018 and targeted members of the Hells Angels in Nanaimo, B.C., as well as their support clubs – the Savages MC and the Devils Army MC – had led to charges against the men.
Police seized 22 weapons over the course of the investigation, including an Uzi, as well as more than 4,500 rounds of ammunition and six tubes of explosives typically used in mining.
Investigators also recovered more than seven kilograms of cocaine, nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine and four kilograms of cannabis, the CFSEU-BC said.
Police said the Hells Angels intended to expand their drug-running operations on Vancouver Island while also establishing new Hells Angels chapters beyond Nanaimo.
THREE MEN REMAIN AT LARGE
William Bradley Thompson, 58, from Ladysmith, B.C., faces 10 weapons charges and one drug-related charge. He was arrested and released pending a court appearance, police said in a release Thursday.
The other three men remained at large at the time of the announcement with warrants issued for their arrests.
Sean Oliver Douglas Kendall, 44, of Port Alberni, B.C., is facing seven charges related to drug trafficking.
Sean Oliver Douglas Kendall. (CFSEU-BC)
Kristopher Stephen Smith, a 44-year-old man from Nanaimo, is charged with three drug offences and three weapons offences.
Kristopher Smith, a 44-year-old man from Nanaimo, B.C., turned himself in to police over the weekend. (CFSEU-BC)
William Karl Paulsen, a 51-year-old from Campbell River, B.C., is facing sixteen drug charges and one count of unlawfully possessing explosives.
William Karl Paulsen. (CFSEU-BC)
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact local police or Crime Stoppers.
"This lengthy and complex investigation spanned over four years and included over 50 dedicated resources resulting in significant seizures of potentially deadly drugs and serious charges," CFSEU-BC chief Manny Mann said Thusday.
"Our mandate and ability to work with our partner agencies to investigate across multiple jurisdictions allows us to investigate gang members and groups who impact public safety in multiple communities," he added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.