Drug war: tension rises a notch on the South Shore of Quebec

Criminalized gangs continue their attacks on the South Shore of Quebec, while at least two episodes of gunfire occurred in Montmagny at the beginning of the week, in addition to an arson in Saint-Malachie, during of which a young man was burned all over his body. He remains in critical condition.

The bloody war for the control of narcotics which has lasted for more than a year and a half in the region is still far from running out of steam.

According to our information, at least two suspects, who have yet to be identified by the authorities, allegedly shot at the residences of drug sellers linked to bikers, Sunday evening and Monday evening, in Montmagny.

This recent armed violence was allegedly orchestrated by members of the Blood Family Mafia (BFM), targeting Hells Angels sympathizers, our sources say.

In both cases, no one was injured, it is mentioned.

In a coma “for several weeks”

Then, during the night from Monday to Tuesday, a 19-year-old young man from Lévis, “burned all over his body,” was left in front of the Enfant-Jésus hospital in Quebec.

The individual, known to police circles and whose state of health is still “very precarious”, was plunged into an artificial coma and is expected to remain there for “several weeks”, a source confirms.

If he survives, he could have to undergo amputations on his hands, in addition to several “dozens of surgeries,” adds this same source.

According to our informants, the young man was accompanied by at least one other accomplice, a young minor who had run away from a youth center. The latter, also injured more superficially, was also met by investigators, we are told.

Burned “by accident”

According to what we learned, the seriously burned young man unintentionally inflicted these burns on himself while going to set fire to a chalet, in the Royer road area, in Saint-Malachie, late Monday evening.

This thesis would also be the one favored by the investigators of the Sûreté du Québec.

Spokesperson Benoit Richard, however, refuses to make any links between the “two files” for the moment.

“The injuries could be consistent with injuries that were either self-inflicted or from someone who found themselves in a fire. This is one of the hypotheses considered. The only fire which could correspond to an event of this style is a fire which is investigated by the Security [du Québec] in the Saint-Malachie sector,” indicated Mr. Richard.

The publicist also rules out the possibility that the young man had been tortured, as was the case during the sordid event that occurred last February in a barn in the municipality, where a man had his feet burned, before being shot. cut off both ears.

The owner of the burned chalet, which was a total loss, is well known to the police. He has a criminal history of breaking and entering, theft and possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking.

Died at 14

This recent event is reminiscent of the death of young Mohamed-Yanis Seghouani, aged 14, found dead in Frampton, in Beauce, on the night of September 15 to 16.

According to our sources, the teenager lost his life accidentally, while going to the hideout of the Hells Angels school club, located on 2^e Rank, to set it on fire.

A burned car was found almost a kilometer from the hideout. No one was inside, but the authorities discovered charred AK-47 assault weapons, our Bureau of Investigation revealed.

A series of violent events in recent weeks

• September 16: Mohamed-Yanis Seghouani, 14, arrives with a minor accomplice to attack the hideout of the Hells Angels of the Quebec chapter, in Frampton, in Beauce. His remains were found 1 km from the scene.
• October 16: The body of Jimmy Maltais, 26, is found in the rubble of a fire in Sept-Îles. Five people were arrested for arson and another is accused of kidnapping the victim.
• October 28: In the evening, a chalet in Saint-Malachie falls prey to a violent arson attack. A man well known to the police lives there. He was not injured by the flames.
• October 29: A few hours later, a 19-year-old young man with burns all over his body was treated in front of the Enfant-Jésus hospital in Quebec. The individual was placed in an induced coma. According to our information, he was unintentionally burned while going to set fire to the Saint-Malachie chalet.

– With the collaboration of Vincent Desbiens