(Quebec) Fires, murder, hostage-taking… The war between bikers and members of street gangs in the Capitale-Nationale region has lasted long enough, insisted the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) on Friday. The police force says it fears for the safety of innocent civilians if the conflict continues.
“We decided to deploy an attack force to meet these people and tell them that enough is enough,” Lieutenant Benoit Richard, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec, said on Friday.
SQ agents from several regions participate in the operations, as do municipal police officers from Quebec, Saguenay and Lévis.
Remember that the war for control of the drug trade would have led to fires, two hostage takings and even the murder of a former Hells Angels “prospect” in a house in Quebec. The regions of Quebec, Beauce, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Côte-Nord are affected.
Lieutenant Richard specifies that the conflict currently involves people linked to organized crime or the sale of drugs. “There is no element that affects civilians. Could a stray bullet happen? Yes. This is one of the things that are being considered, he said. This is why today we are deciding to deploy this force. »
The SQ also made three arrests in Montmagny on Friday. The two men, aged 22 and 38, and the 37-year-old woman will be met by investigators. “It is linked to the events in Saint-Malachie which occurred last Monday,” specifies the spokesperson for the SQ.
Remember that on Monday, in Beauce, a relative of the Hells was taken hostage. According to The Montreal Journal, the man managed to break away and killed one of his attackers. Videos have recently started circulating in which people are literally tortured and forced to denounce bikers on camera.
The message is clear: we will attack all the people who commit these crimes and we will bring them before the courts in the coming days.
Benoît Richard, lieutenant of the Sûreté du Québec
The Minister of Public Security praised the work of the SQ in a press release. “We know that the situation worried Quebecers. We had to send a clear message to criminals that we are sparing no effort to ensure the safety of the population,” declares François Bonnardel.
The war taking place in the Quebec region, according to several sources, involves members of a street gang led by Dave “Pic” Turmel. They allegedly refused to pay a fee to bikers on the cocaine they sell.
In a video viewed by The Presswe can see bikers installing a “puck” – a GPS beacon – under what would be Turmel’s car, parked in front of a stripper bar on the South Shore of Quebec.
The scene was captured by a security camera and the tape recovered by Turmel’s men. Believing there was a price on his head, Turmel left the country and is believed to be in Europe.
Are attempts to arrest Turmel abroad underway? “We work with several partners, in relation to what happens regarding a person who is abroad, I will keep that to myself,” replied the spokesperson for the SQ.