Major Police Operation Aimed at Organized Crime in Québec City

Québec City, Thursday, March 12, 2009 – Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Customs and Excise Section, in partnership with the members of the ACCES Program which includes officers of the Sûreté du Québec Anti-Smuggling Division, and officers of the Service de police de la Ville de Québec, Service de police de Lévis, as well as the Service de police autochtone de Wendake, are currently conducting an operation to arrest 22 individuals allegedly involved in illicit tobacco trade and drug trafficking. Two of the warrants issued were for individuals believed to be members of an outlaw motorcycle gang.

This series of arrests in the Québec City and Montérégie areas is the result of a major police investigation, called Project “Château", which was initiated in November 2006.

The investigation revealed that certain members of the outlaw motorcycle gang allegedly pulled the strings of a local cigarette smuggling ring. It is alleged that this ring was split into two separate cells, one for the north shore and one for the south shore of Québec City. Each cell was responsible for obtaining illegal tobacco products and delivering them to different affiliated distributors in the Québec City area. This organization could also resort to violence and intimidation to collect their money and protect the smuggling ring against independent dealers.

In order to gather the necessary evidence to support charges, 52 searches were conducted a year ago, almost to the day, on March 13, 2008 in Québec City, Montréal, Saint-Jean, Sherbrooke and Lacolle. During these searches, an important quantity of illegal tobacco products as well as weapons, cash and various drugs were seized.

The 2008 searches led to the seizure of 298 cases of contraband tobacco, 14 vehicles, including two that had been reported stolen and a luxury sports car, six handguns and three rifles. In addition, approximately $75,000 in cash, 20,000 methamphetamine pills, as well as cocaine, cannabis resin and marihuana were also seized. Some 13 individuals were arrested at the time and were later released after questioning. 

Connections with Chemical Drug Trafficking
In the course of the investigation, officers uncovered that the organization, in addition to illegal tobacco trade, was involved in chemical drug trafficking. In 2007, as an offshoot of Project Château, police started investigating these trafficking activities and discovered that the targeted organization was also operating a chemical drug production ring. A clandestine laboratory was in fact dismantled on January 25, 2008 in Waterloo. 

The subjects charged in Project Château are: 

They face charges of unlawful possession or sale of tobacco products, conspiracy to traffic in contraband tobacco, drug trafficking (synthetic drugs), possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and conspiracy to traffic in drugs. They are also charged with participating in activities of a criminal organization, commission of an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization and instructing commission of an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization.

It should be kept in mind that people who purchase contraband tobacco, whether in baggies or in the form of packaged cigarettes, could be helping to fund organized crime and other illicit activity including drug trafficking and money laundering.

The police partners take this opportunity to invite local citizens to report any information that could help eliminate illegal activities of organized crime groups involved in illegal tobacco trade or drugs to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or their local police. The public is also invited to call 1-800-659-GANG.

-30-

For information:

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Québec City: 418-648-7589
Montréal: 514-939-8308