Ten people accused of trafficking illegal weapons and drugs throughout Quebec

Ten people allegedly involved in an illegal arms and drug trafficking network, across Quebec, were charged on Thursday after an operation carried out by the coordinated Integrated Arms Trafficking Team (EILTA). by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).

The accused are François Plamondon, Vincent Baril, Yann-Michael Hervet, Frédéric Vaillancourt, Jason Benoit-Ialenti, Maxime Lajoie-Noreau, Samantha Sarika Singh, Marie-Ève ​​Labonté, Alexandre Ovalle and Maude L’Écuyer. Most of them remain detained.

There S.Q. carried out, Thursday morning, the arrest of 11 individuals, including one who was released on a promise to appear. The operation is the result of an investigation initiated in October 2023.

The work of around a hundred police officers and civilians from the S.Q. as well as several municipal police forces led to these arrests with the aim of neutralizing an arms and drug trafficking network affecting the Montreal and Quebec regions.

According to the denunciation documents, the accused took action more precisely in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, Boucherville, Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Côme, Saint-Émélie -de-l’Énergie, Mandeville, Montreal, Pointe-Claire, Saint-Léonard-d’Ashton, Quebec and Carignan since February 2024.

The accused are not necessarily known to our servicesspecifies Benoit Richard, spokesperson for the S.Q. in an interview on ICI RDI.

These are people who brought weapons back to the Montreal region and sold them in the Quebec region.

Since the beginning of the investigation, searches have led to the seizure of 4 million methamphetamine tablets, 34 kilograms of crystal meth, 18 kilograms of cocaine, $190,000 in Canadian money, 27 long weapons and 23 handguns.

The investigation continues. Most of the accused will return to court on September 30.

Arrests Wednesday on the North Shore

There S.Q. arrested six people on Wednesday in connection with drug trafficking in Sept-Îles and Port-Cartier, on the North Shore. According to the police, the investigation tends to show that the five men and the woman arrested, who are between 20 and 30 years old, are linked to the Blood Family Mafia (BFM) street gang.

This group is at the heart of a royalty dispute with the Hells Angels, according to the S.Q..

This conflict led to an outbreak of violence between the two groups. Two people admitted their guilt in June at the Quebec courthouse.

Evan Lavoie, 21, and Andréanne Dominique, 37, participated in the kidnapping, kidnapping and serious assault against relatives of the Hells in Saint-Malachie, in February, an event which took ending with the death of a kidnapper.

There BFM is led by Dave Turmel and All Boivin. The latter appears on the list of the 10 most wanted individuals in Quebec.

Six criminals, linked to Boivin’s network, were arrested in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean in August.