Intimidation, targeted criminal acts and shootings are increasingly common in certain sectors.
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Armed conflicts between the Hells Angels and street gangs from Quebec are on the rise in Eastern Quebec. (Archive photo)
Sophie Martin (View profile)Sophie Martin
Armed conflicts between the Hells Angels and street gangs from Quebec are on the rise in Eastern Quebec, according to what Radio-Canada has learned.
According to our information, criminal groups refuse to pay the tax demanded by the motorcycle club to sell in territory controlled by the Hells Angels. This tax is equivalent to approximately 10% of dealers' narcotics sales.
According to former Sûreté du Québec police officer and police affairs analyst François Doré, this refusal could explain the increase in crimes in the region. It can lead to crimes against these people [street gang members], he says. There have been events in recent months involving Hells and drug dealers or street gang members in Quebec or Eastern Quebec.
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Ex-Sûreté du Québec police officer François Doré. (Archive photo)
Intimidation, targeted criminal acts and shooting of firearms are more and more frequent on the North Shore.
There were episodes of shots fired at buildings in Chute-aux-Outardes. There have also been arrests in the area of Sept-Îles which are linked to drug trafficking, indicates the information officer for the Sûreté du Québec, Sergeant Hugues Beaulieu.
He estimates that these conflicts between criminal groups on the North Shore would have started towards the end of summer or the beginning of fall.
It's a question of takeover that we are currently seeing.
A quote from Hugues Beaulieu, information officer for the Sûreté du Québec
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Sûreté du Québec information officer Hugues Beaulieu.
It’s always a war for power, adds François Doré. As long as the Hells exercise this form of control and the dealers pay their royalty, so to speak, to the Hells, they can leave them alone.
We must remember the operations of the past. We only have to think of the Carcajou squad, spring 2001 or SharQC, so criminals still have to watch themselves a lot.
A quote from François Doré, former police officer with the Sûreté du Québec
The conflicts between the Hells Angels and the street gangs of Quebec were discussed during a public security committee of the MRC of Rimouski-Neigette, at the end of spring last, says prefect Francis St-Pierre. He indicates that the Sûreté du Québec is monitoring the situation closely.
It would be to completely turn a blind eye to think that it does not exist in region.
A quote from Francis St-Pierre, prefect of the MRC of Rimouski-Neigette
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The prefect of the MRC of Rimouski-Neigette, Francis St-Pierre (Archive photo)
Mr. St-Pierre adds that there is currently a greater police presence and that the Sûreté du Québec is intensifying its interventions. It's part of their job to be vigilant, to monitor, to infiltrate these groups to know where they are going, to be able to counter these movements, he continues.
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There have been episodes of bikers, there have been episodes of street gangs, we just have to be vigilant, make sure we control, ensure we protect our young people from these scourges.
A quote by Francis St-Pierre, prefect of the MRC Rimouski-Neigette
Even if it does not compare to that of large cities like Montreal, the prefect said he was still worried about the situation in the MRC of Rimouski-Neigette. We're not there, but we shouldn't go there, he concludes.
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116
