SOLICITOR-GENERAL WANTS AUTHORITY TO PUBLISH NAMES OF HELLS ANGELS-OWNED FIRMS

KELOWNA - The B.C. government is trying to gain legal authority to publish
the names of businesses owned by the Hells Angels, Solicitor General Rich
Coleman said Wednesday.

The minister told the Kelowna Daily Courier the Angels are operating
legitimate businesses as well as marijuana growing operations in the city.

Coleman said his ministry is trying to win legal authority to publish the
names of businesses owned by the motorcycle gang and other criminal
organizations.

"They [Hells Angels] are immersed here, no question about that. They've
been immersed in Canada since the mid-1970s."

He said the Hells Angels own businesses in the city.

"We know of a lot of them. It wouldn't hurt for the public to know who owns
businesses in organized crime."

About 100 members are spread across seven chapters in B.C.

They have plans for a new Kelowna chapter and there is talk of another
chapter in Surrey, said Coleman.

"These are disrespectful, uncaring criminals who want to destroy your
community. And they're tied in with the Vietnamese gangs and the
Indo-Canadian gangs and the Russian gangs," Coleman said.