Arrested with a weapon, he allegedly tried to bite a police officer

An alleged gang member often linked to armed violence in Montreal allegedly tried to bite a police officer from the Eclipse squad while struggling violently during his arrest last summer. Hamza Adnane was under close surveillance by authorities when he was allegedly spotted in a car with a loaded firearm.

July 2024. Hamza Adnane and his partner, Sofia Carmela Curcuruto, leave their condo to get into their vehicle, indicates the summary of facts in this weapon possession case.

The Jeep Wrangler was quickly spotted by police officers from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), according to court documents. Officers found a 9mm pistol near the driver’s seat. Ammunition is seized in the apartment where Mr. Adnane and M appear to live^me Curruto.

Two police officers from the Éclipse squad, specialized in collecting information on organized crime and gangs, are responsible for their arrest. This routine operation reportedly intensified when Hamza Adnane, handcuffed, struggled and tried to escape. Unable to control himself, he allegedly tried to bite one of the Eclipse agents responsible for controlling him when the latter tried to fasten his belt.

The young man and his partner now face several charges, including possession of a prohibited firearm. Their preliminary investigation was held in early January at the Montreal courthouse.

Gang headliner

Hamza Adnane, nicknamed Mekra, is well known to the police and the street gang community in Saint-Léonard.

The 24-year-old has been associated in the past with a street gang called Everybody Gets Killed (EGK). According to our information, he would have dissociated himself from this gang. The police currently consider him to be an influential member of another Saint-Léonard gang.

The young man was already accused of discharging a firearm two years ago, when shootings were frequent in the metropolis.

According to our sources, “Mekra” would be involved in a violent conflict between the street gangs of Anjou and those of Saint-Léonard. This dispute is believed to have been partly caused by the murder of Walid Meddane, an influential gang member, in 2021.

Mr. Adnane would also be involved in fraud, car theft and the sale of fake iPhones on Marketplace, our police sources indicate.

Sufficient proof, according to the court

“The loaded firearm was found in a car where he was the last occupant. He and Madam are the only people observed by the surveillance,” summarized the judge during his decision on the summons to trial of the two accused last Thursday.

Ammunition was found in the apartment where the couple lived, according to the facts put forward by the Crown during the preliminary investigation. “The weapon is visible under the driver’s bench. It is not hidden, it is easily accessible and loaded,” noted the judge.

The proof is sufficient, the magistrate finally decided. Mr. Adnane and his co-accused are therefore summoned to trial in this case of possession of a loaded firearm.

The file must come back formally next month. M^e Vicky Powell defends alleged Saint-Léonard gang member and M^e Philippe Morneau represents Sofia Carmela Curcuruto.

Only Mr. Adnane will remain detained during the proceedings. M^e Marie-Christine Lajoie-Filion is leading the case for the public prosecutor.