SPVM operation Fifteen firearms possibly linked to the Hells Angels seized

The Montreal police announced on Friday that they had seized around fifteen firearms and made two arrests on Thursday, following a large police operation carried out with its Tactical Intervention Group. According to our information, these seized weapons could be linked to the Hells Angels.

Carried out in two residential buildings in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, the first operation made it possible to “ seize handguns, rifles, magazines, silencers and several ammunition of different calibers, ”said the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) in a press release on Friday afternoon.

"Various quantities of cocaine, GHB and other narcotics were also found at the scene," the police said. Simon Bilodeau, 40, considered the main suspect in this case, was arrested.

The 40-year-old was pinned with Shawn Mitchell, 23, who is believed to be his accomplice. Both appeared at the Montreal courthouse on Friday afternoon. They will be detained until their next court appearance on August 19. A third suspect, Robert Renzo Laframboise, will appear later. They are charged with possession of a weapon and drug trafficking.

Simon Bilodeau is also accused of possessing a restricted firearm, a Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol, without having a licence. He is also accused of having modified, made up or erased serial numbers on firearms.

Bilodeau is known to police for his links with criminal groups. He was notably charged with possession of prohibited weapons in 2014, before facing charges of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking in 2017. The man has already been fined for driving while impaired impaired and failed to appear in court in 2018.

Another search on Thursday

This case comes as the same day, Thursday, a pistol, a high capacity magazine, ammunition and a bulletproof vest were also seized by the police of Montreal in Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles and the Southwest. A 28-year-old man was also arrested in the wake of this other operation. It is thanks to “key anonymous information from the public” that the SPVM says it was able to carry out these searches on Thursday.

The nature of the charges that will be filed against the 28-year-old man is unknown at this time. Police say the length of the court process is "limited by the Jordan ruling", forcing officers to adapt. "Formal charges will be filed against the apprehended suspect [Thursday], upon disclosure of all the evidence," it said.

In the justice system, the Jordan decision set a ceiling of 18 months in the Court of Quebec and 30 months in the Superior Court of Quebec between the laying of charges and the conclusion of a criminal or penal case. Beyond these ceilings, delays are presumed unreasonable and can lead to a halt in the judicial process, since the constitutional rights of an accused are violated.

Outbreak in shootings

A little over a week ago, the SPVM and the Sûreté du Québec announced that they were teaming up to combat the rise in violence involving firearms in the metropolis. This outbreak of shootings is mainly linked to conflicts between street gangs.

Since the murder of rapper Duckerns Pierre Clermont, better known as Young Wolf, shot and killed Sunday evening in the Villeray sector, three events involving firearms have occurred in the metropolis.

In Montreal, 17 homicides were committed in 2021.

A total of 84 events involving gunshots have taken place in the metropolis since the beginning of the year. This is almost double the same period in 2020: 46 such incidents had occurred, according to a table prepared by an investigator from the National Law Enforcement Support Team fire (ENSALA-GRC), unveiled last spring.

SPVM Inspector David Shane took the opportunity on Friday to remind that “there is no information too small to be communicated to the police”.

Anyone wishing to report an incident involving firearms can contact the anonymous and confidential center of Info-Crime Montreal, by dialing 514 393-1133.

With Daniel Renaud, La Presse