The authorities responded Thursday to the recent outbursts of organized crime with a major raid against a network which notably supplied weapons to criminal groups warring for control of the sale of narcotics in the province. Twelve people were handcuffed.
The suspects aged between 21 and 53 were all arrested by Sûreté du Québec police officers early Thursday morning.
Among them, Vincent Baril, 40 years old, from Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, and François Plamondon, 38 years old, from Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, face charges including arms trafficking. illegal fires and drug trafficking.
Last March, the police went to the addresses of the two individuals to carry out searches. They notably seized 16 kg of cocaine, 500 grams of hashish, 800 grams of cannabis and 350 prescription medication tablets, in addition to eight hunting weapons and six cell phones.
No arrests had been made at that time.
Among the group of accused, we also find Alexandre Ovalle, 41, targeted by drug leaders. The man, considered close to the Hells Angels, was the victim of an attempted murder in June 2023.
Alexandre Ovalle, 41, arrested on September 26, 2024, on the sidelines of operation “Radioactif”, a strike against arms trafficking. The individual would be close to the Hells Angels and was the victim of an attempted murder in the summer of 2023.
Photo taken from INSTAGRAM, PANDA THE SPANISH (Alexandre Ovalle)
Weapons sent to Quebec
According to the Sûreté du Québec, the network imported illegal firearms from the United States, among others, to bring them to the Quebec region and eastern Quebec, where a violent drug war has been raging for more than a year. year.
Several handguns were seized, says Catherine Bernard, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec.
“Some people in the network had relationships with outlawed biker groups,” she adds, without being able to specify who these weapons were intended for.
The large-scale police operation, called “Radioactif” and whose investigation began in the spring of 2023, enabled the authorities to neutralize a source of weapons which was fueling the conflict between criminal groups in Quebec, according to our sources.
Significant Strike
The Integrated Arms Trafficking Team (EILTA) Quebec affirms that the police made arrests and searches in the following sectors: Pointe-Claire, Longueuil, Boucherville, Saint-Hubert, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu , Mercier, Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu, Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu, Repentigny, Saint-Côme, Sainte-Émélie-de-l’Énergie, Fossambault-sur-le-Lac and Sainte-Catherine-de-la -Jacques-Cartier.
“More than 100 police and civilian resources from the Sûreté du Québec and several municipal police forces are being mobilized today,” it says.
A series of searches linked to illegal firearms trafficking and organized crime drug trafficking is taking place across Quebec on Thursday, September 26, 2024. In the photo, police officers search a trailer located on the vast land of a mini-warehouse rental site, on Chemin Du Tremblay, in Boucherville.
Photo Agency QMI, MAXIME DELAND
Of the 12 individuals arrested, 10 appeared at the Quebec courthouse late Thursday afternoon (see box below). A suspect has been released without charge at this time. Three people are also the subject of arrest warrants.
The public prosecutor’s office opposed the release of the majority of suspects, who will remain behind bars for the time being. Some were able to regain their freedom conditionally.
Most cases have been postponed until next Monday.
Details of the charges
François Plamondon – Fossambault-sur-le-Lac
38 years old
Possession of cannabis
Possession of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking
Possession of illicit cannabis
Storage or transportation of firearms
Vincent Baril – Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier
40 years
Possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking
Storage or transportation of firearms
Samantha Sarika Singh – Pointe-Claire
39 years old
Manufacturing or offering to manufacture or transfer prohibited firearms
Possession of firearms for the purpose of trafficking
Possession of prohibited devices for the purpose of trafficking
Jason Benoit-Ialenti – Boucherville
32 years old
Methamphetamine trafficking
Possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking
Maxime Lajoie-Noreau – Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu
35 years old
Methamphetamine trafficking
Possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking
Possession of a firearm without a license
Possession of a weapon during a ban
Yann-Michael Hervet – Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu
53 years old
Manufacturing or offering to manufacture or transfer prohibited firearms
Possession of prohibited weapons
Possession of prohibited devices for the purpose of trafficking
Possession of prohibited devices
Possession of a firearm without a license
Frédéric Vaillancourt – Sainte-Émélie-de-l’Énergie
52 years old
Manufacturing or offering to manufacture or transfer prohibited firearms
Possession of prohibited weapons
Possession of firearms with altered or erased serial numbers
Transporting, shipping or selling firearms
Possession of a firearm without a license
Marie-Ève Labonté – Saint-Hubert
43 years old
Cocaine trafficking
Possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking
Alexandre Ovalle – Carignan
41 years old
Cocaine trafficking
Possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking
Maude L’Écuyer – Carignan
28 years old
Cocaine trafficking
Possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking
Three other individuals are the subject of arrest warrants, namely Eddy-Félix Amador-Rojas, Nicolas Gagné-Mercier and Omar Tissoudal
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