OFF THE WIRE
JESSICA SMITH
Project Finale nets one of the city’s ‘eight or nine’ full-patch Hells Angels and his crew: Police
Year-long investigation sparked by drug-trade violence, unco-operative witnesses..Police say they have dismantled a “cell” of the Hells Angels. They arrested an alleged full-patch member of the biker gang in a raid on 16 homes in the east end of the city and downtown.
“This group is known to potentially move $300,000 to $400,000 a month in illegal substances,” said Ottawa Police Insp. Samir Bhatnagar.
“So the amount seized yesterday is substantial, but the dismantling of the organization is going to have a bigger impact in the distribution of drugs in the local area.”
Project Finale was a joint operation between the Ottawa Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP.
Police arrested an alleged full-patch Hells Angels member, of the Ontario Nomads chapter, and 11 other people they say are his associates in the raid on Wednesday.
Michael Clairoux faces several charges including conspiracy to traffic cocaine and marijuana, and enhancing, directing and instructing a criminal organization.
Police seized $172,000 worth of drugs, $150,000 worth of other assets and two replica handguns in the raids, as well as a real firearm earlier in their investigation.
