CANADA - Bikers nabbed in Friday home search

OFF THE WIRE
James Turner
 winnipegsun.com

A Calgary police officer displays a bulletproof vest used by criminals in that city. In Winnipeg, a growing number of gang members and other criminals are sporting body armour, police sources say. (LYLE ASPINALL/QMI Agency Files)

Two reputed Rock Machine biker gang associates were nabbed by police just prior to a search of a St. Andrews home that netted drugs, ammunition and gang paraphernalia.
Police said at about 3 p.m. Friday, Shane Allen Fischer, 31, and Nicole Joy Nykorak, 26, were arrested during a traffic stop at Highway 8 and Grassmere Road.
The stop came about two hours prior to police executing two search warrants at the same alleged drug house on Lockport Road as part of a ongoing street crime investigation, police said Sunday.
Police seized nearly $10,000 worth of cocaine and hash, along with coke-cutting agent, drug paraphernalia, ammunition, a bullet-proof vest and gang attire, Const. Jason Michalyshen said.
The seizure of the armoured vest is significant, as it may prove to become the first test of provincial legislation that came into force Jan. 1 outlawing their use by the general public without a permit. Anyone unauthorized to have body armour and is caught with it faces a fine of up to $10,000, three months in jail or both.
Michalyshen said he was unaware of any other pending arrests in the case.
Fischer was out on bail at the time and was supposed to be living elsewhere, said police.
Nykorak was out on statutory release from prison and is facing parole revocation, Michalyshen said.
Police didn’t identify the gang involved, but said it was an outlaw motorcycle group. A police source said both have ties to the Rock Machine gang.
Both suspects face “numerous” drug and weapons charges, police said. They are being held at the Winnipeg Remand Centre.
james.turner@sunmedia.ca