Who are the young, violent and unstable gangs that terrorize Montreal?

Arson, extortion of restaurateurs, attempted murder… The increase in violent events in recent months has worried business owners, residents and the city’s police officers alike.

Helped by young members of street gangs thirsty for money and notoriety, a few criminal groups have been waging a merciless war for months.

Just last week, an arson fire in Old Montreal caused the death of a mother and her 7-year-old daughter, and the police are investigating the theory that it was set as part of an attempted murder. extortion which targeted the restaurant on the ground floor.

Our Investigation Office takes stock of the forces present.

All our police sources indicate that the criminal environment is particularly unstable at the moment. Groups easily change allegiance, which means that the picture in a few months could be different from the one we present to you today.

Arab Power

In full expansion for two years, the Arab Power group aims to take control of the sale of narcotics in the metropolis.

Its two main leaders, Youness Aithaqi (alias Frérot) and Sylvain Kabbouchi are behind bars. They easily control their network from prison, equipped with smartphones.

The Arab clan is known for having access to large sums of money from drug and firearms trafficking.

In addition to the violent events attributed to them in Montreal, it is believed that they could be the sponsors of the attack on the Hells Angels hideout in Frampton in September, in which a 14-year-old boy died.

The names of some of their soldiers have reached the ears of the police who are investigating the assassination of kingpin Gregory Woolley, which occurred in November 2023.

Headliners

35 ans

– Nicknamed “Brother”

– He is serving a life sentence for the murder in 1^is degree of Joseph Sarikakis occurred in February 2020.

– He also has a history of theft and extortion.

25 ans

– Coming from the BLOCC Mafia street gang in Chomedey in Laval, this young gangster exerts a strong influence despite his young age.

– Currently incarcerated, he is accused of having killed Nitchell “Crank” Lapaix, the former right-hand man of kingpin Jean-Philippe Célestin.

– During his arrest in December 2022, Captain Martin Robert of the Sûreté du Québec described him as “a true poster child for violence in Laval.” “He is involved in all crimes: collection, trafficking, discharge of firearms, kidnapping and now murder too,” he said.

The Célestin clan and bikers

This group is led by Jean-Philippe Célestin, a member of the Marauders, the school club of the Hells Angels.

The Hells brought him on board in early 2024 for his expertise in the Montreal criminal market.

Célestin also inherited the drug sales territories of kingpin Gregory Woolley, following his assassination in November 2023. He works mainly in downtown Montreal, but also certain sectors of the South Shore and the Rive -North.

Our sources even say that Célestin is now involved in drug trafficking as far as Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

According to our information, the gang is currently at war with Arab Power for control of drug sales territories. Célestin is on guard: he travels in an armored vehicle, often with a procession of other vehicles to ensure his safety. Last May, our Bureau of Investigation revealed that a $50,000 murder contract was hanging over his head.

Célestin has made many people unhappy recently by entrusting responsibilities to very young members of his organization.

Headliner

44 ans

– He was imprisoned between 2015 and 2019 for drug trafficking and gangsterism.

– He is a regular in prison: He was sentenced to two years for conspiracy and cocaine trafficking in 2010, and five months for assault in 2012 during a fight outside the bars.

TUPAC

The criminal network led by Atna Ohna, alias Tupac or 2Pac, has less well-defined allegiances than Arab Power and the Jean-Philippe Célestin group. He works in the sale of drugs and works for the highest bidder, according to our police information. He is also an active rapper on social media, and uses Tupac as his stage name.

Ohna, formerly a member of Célestin’s group, is now at open war with the latter. He has decided to strike out on his own and aims to become the godfather of Montreal’s street gangs, which also causes him friction with the Arab Power gang.

Police believe his group also engaged in extortion attempts targeting restaurants. His name is circulating, just like that of the STL gang, also in the investigation into the fire in Old Montreal which left two dead last week.

Headliner

39 ans

– He has a criminal history of possession with a view to drug trafficking and threats.

– Active in the rap world under the pseudonym Tupac.

– The police said of him in 2021 that he was a “henchman” of the influential mafiosi Marco Pizzi and Davide Barberio, in addition to serving as their “broker” with the street gangs hired by the mafia.

Le STL

This street gang takes its name from the Montreal borough where it comes from, Saint-Léonard.

A few years ago, some of these members attracted the attention of the police because they were involved in a network selling fake iPhones. But according to our information, the group’s criminal activities are increasingly violent: robberies, attempted murders and homicides.

So much so that today, young members of the STL are hired by the Arab Power group to do the dirty work. Two of its members are also suspected of having carried out the attack on the Hells Angels premises in Frampton in September.

In Montreal, the STL would also be entrusted with extortion actions targeting downtown restaurants. Moreover, the police are studying the hypothesis, among others, that this street gang was involved in the fatal fire that occurred in Old Montreal last week.

Les Profit Boyz

This red street gang is associated with the Rivière-des-Prairies and Montréal-Nord sectors, and maintains good links with the STL criminal group.

Police intelligence associates them not only with the sale of drugs, but also with pimping.

The Profit Boyz are particularly active on social media, where they share numerous videos that promote violence and guns. This allows them to recruit young members still in their teens.

Over the months, their activities extended outside the metropolis, through loyalty of variable geometry.

Thus, the police believe that they worked as much for the boss Pic Turmel, in the Quebec region, as for the Hells Angels of the Trois-Rivières chapter.