THE RCMP'S GANGSTER 'HIT LIST'

The RCMP has compiled a secret "hit list" of B.C.'s 20 most dangerous
crime bosses, a list it hopes will help it put more gangsters behind
bars and strike a blow against organized crime in this province, a
joint Vancouver Sun-Victoria Times Colonist investigation has learned.

And while the RCMP refuses to reveal the names of the individuals on
its list -- for fear of tipping off potential investigation targets --
it will reveal which group it considers the province's biggest
criminal threat: The Hells Angels.

"OMG [outlaw motorcycle gangs] is the top," said Supt. Dick Grattan,
head of the RCMP's criminal intelligence section in B.C.

Grattan said biker-gang members make up the largest proportion of
people on the force's Top 20 list, an annual ranking known as the
Strategic Threat Assessment that the Mounties in B.C. have been
producing for the past few years.

Asian organized-crime figures make up the second-largest group on the
list, followed by Eastern European gangsters.

"The Top 20 would be the ones who have the most influence over
organized crime in the province," Grattan said.

Rick Ciarniello, spokesman for the Hells Angels in B.C., denied his
club is a criminal organization and said if police had evidence that
it was, more of his members would be behind bars. "If it were true,
they'd be charging people," he said. "Normally, when [police]
investigate criminal activity, they don't put it in the newspaper what
they're doing. They just go out and gather the evidence and charge
people. I wish somebody would charge me with something so I could
defend myself in the court of law, where it counts, instead of being
tried in the media, where they don't have any proof."

To prevent leaks, the RCMP's threat assessment has been closely
guarded by the force.

Even senior organized-crime investigators in the province have only
been allowed to review the list and have not been given their own copies.

According to police, the list represents a shift in the RCMP's
approach to investigating organized crime. Until recently, said
Grattan, the force was "commodity focused" -- measuring success by the
volume of drugs it seized.

The problem with that approach, however, is that it often only
ensnared the smaller players, leaving many of the kingpins untouched.
The goal now, Grattan said, is for police to focus their
investigations on the most influential and powerful crime figures, in
the hope that putting such people behind bars will destabilize
criminal organizations.

And while the RCMP doesn't have the resources to launch investigations
into all 20 figures on its list, Grattan said investigations are
underway -- or in the planning stages -- for at least half of them.

When the Mounties decided a few years ago to compile such a list,
their first challenge was who to include. A preliminary list of all
the known organized-crime figures in B.C. turned up 185 names, broken
down into 85 separate groups -- some just small street-gangs of a few
people each.

To winnow down the list, crime figures were ranked on 19 separate
factors, including use of violence, infiltration into legitimate
businesses and ability to corrupt officials. That combination of
factors is what landed many of B.C.'s Hells Angels members in the Top
20. A heavily edited copy of the 2003 Strategic Threat Assessment,
provided to The Vancouver Sun by the RCMP, indicates how high a
priority the Angels have become.

"Within British Columbia, the influence attached to the Hells Angels
organization and their symbols cannot be overstated," the report
states. "Since their inception in 1948, the Hells Angels organization
has evolved into a structure that is designed to facilitate and
protect the criminal enterprises of its membership."

Insp. Andy Richards is a biker-gang expert with the Combined Forces
Special Enforcement Unit, a group within the RCMP that's taken over
many duties of the Organized Crime Agency of B.C.

Richards said what makes Angels membership so attractive to criminals
is that the gang has a reputation in the criminal world for violence
and power -- making it easier for members to collect drug debts and
intimidate the competition.

While a gang member with a Hells Angels patch on his jacket may be an
easier target for police than an Asian gangster, the association with
the Angels is worth the risk, he said.

"It's the power of the patch. Once you have that patch, you have that
standing out there in the criminal world that people are afraid of.
Violence and intimidation is the gas that runs the engine of the Hells
Angels."

A growing police fear is that the Hells Angels are infiltrating the
quick-cash businesses, such as cheque cashing and money lending,
although none are yet listed as owners of record.

In Vancouver and Kamloops, Hells Angels have bought cellphone stores
and are rumoured to be setting up their own phone companies. In
Kelowna, Hells Angels from around the Lower Mainland have large
real-estate holdings and their business interests range from an
up-market clothing store to a tattoo parlour.

Supt. Don Harrison, RCMP district officer of the south-east district
of E Division, can drive around Kelowna, where he believes a Hells
Angels chapter is about to open up, and point to expensive properties,
brand-new condos and businesses owned by Angels. "These people are
extremely well-organized. The profits they are making are enormous,"
he said.

However, while the Angels are powerful, police say they are not
hierarchical in the same way as traditional organized crime, where
everybody reports to a single boss. While each Angels chapter has a
president who looks after club business, police say the criminal
activities of the bikers are less formally structured.

"It's not like the Mafia, where everything goes to the top," Richards
said.

He said Hells Angels members essentially run their own operations,
with their own associates and underlings. "Once you're a full member,
you're at the top, if you want to be, of your own little criminal
enterprise," he said.

Richards said the Angels in B.C. have grown incredibly rich in recent
years, in large part due to heavy involvement in the marijuana trade
in the 1990s. "The Angels in B.C. were one of the very first groups to
industrialize the marijuana business -- setting up and investing in
multiple large grows and producing large shipments for export," he
said. "The B.C. bud industry has made the Hells Angels, some of them,
extremely wealthy."

But, as pot raids have increased, Richards said, some Angels have
stepped back from growing marijuana and have taken on a greater role
as brokers and middlemen, helping to ship marijuana into the United
States.

One of the main reasons why the Angels are such a high priority for
police is that their power and money has allowed them to infiltrate
the legitimate economy. From supermarkets to clothing stores, the
Angels have a stake in all kinds of businesses. Indeed, many people in
B.C. regularly shop at Angels' businesses without even knowing it.

But nowhere is the infiltration of the Angels more apparent than at
the ports.

Police in B.C. have often tried to play down the role of biker gangs
at the Vancouver and Delta ports.

But The Sun has learned that a secret 2001 report by the Organized
Crime Agency of B.C. identified by name five full members of the Hells
Angels who work at the Vancouver and Delta ports, along with more than
30 known associates.

And in a speech to a meeting of provincial justice ministers in
Vancouver in December 1999, Bev Busson -- then chief of the OCA, and
now head of the RCMP in B.C. -- left little doubt about the influence
of the Angels at the ports.

"[The] Hells Angels in B.C. . . . control much of the production and
export of high-grade indoor-grown marijuana and the importation and
distribution of cocaine," said Busson, according to a copy of her
speech obtained by The Sun through an Access to Information request.
"Millions of dollars change hands in this import-export business.
Smuggling methods are diverse and include unchecked containers at the
Port of Vancouver, an area under the control of the Hells Angels."

Insp. Doug Kiloh, the RCMP's major case manager at the ports, said he
is aware of Hells Angels members working at the ports and said it is
possible for anyone employed at the ports -- whether an Angel or not
- -- to commit crimes. But he played down the Angels' strength on the
waterfront. "It's an unfair characterization to say that the Hells
Angels run the ports," he said. "In my view, it's absolutely false."

Onkar Athwal, vice-president of operations for the B.C. Maritime
Employers Association, said he's not aware of specific Angels members
working at the ports, but it wouldn't surprise him. "I don't
personally know of any individuals, but I am aware that there probably
are some," he said.

However, Athwal disputed the suggestion that the Angels control
activity at the ports. "I don't think they're controlling anything,"
he said.

Athwal said longshoremen are not subject to criminal-record checks or
other background checks before working at the ports. However,
Transport Canada has proposed new regulations that would require port
workers -- like airport workers -- to be subject to background checks
before working in restricted areas.

Public consultations on the new regulations -- known as the Marine
Facilities Restricted Areas Access Clearance Program -- will begin
Sept. 20 and the regulations will likely be implemented early in 2005.

Ciarniello denied five Angels members are working at the ports, saying
he's only aware of two -- something he thinks shouldn't be an issue.
"What is wrong with having a bloody job?" he said. "These guys are out
there working. But because they're Hells Angels, you've got to put a
twist on it."

Ciarniello added that people identified by police as "associates" may
simply be friends of Hells Angels members.

"Being somebody who . . . knows the Hells Angels is not reason to
assume that there is something criminal going on," he said.

After the Hells Angels, the second-highest organized-crime priority
for the RCMP is Asian organized crime, which includes both Chinese and
Vietnamese gangs.

Chinese gangs known as the Big Circle Boys are involved in a wide
variety of activities, including drug importation and human smuggling
- -- but are also heavily involved in credit-card fraud and loan sharking.

Vietnamese gangs, on the other hand, are primarily involved in
marijuana growing -- although they have recently begun to expand into
methamphetamine labs.

Eastern European crime groups are a more recent phenomenon in B.C.,
but have grown steadily in the past 15 years, according to police.
According to the RCMP's 2003 report, Eastern European gangsters are
involved in a wide variety of illicit activities, "ranging from
street-level theft and [drug] trafficking to sophisticated fraud and
money-laundering schemes."

Eastern European crime groups have also been implicated in
sophisticated debit-card scams.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the RCMP's Top 20 list,
however, is the group that didn't make the cut: Indo-Canadian gangs.

In the past decade, more than 60 Indo-Canadian men in the Lower
Mainland have been murdered in a wave of gang violence.

However, Insp. Wade Blizard of the RCMP's criminal intelligence
section said that while Indo-Canadian gang members are extremely
violent, they are considered by police to be far less sophisticated
than other groups, such as outlaw motorcycle gangs or Asian organized
crime.

Staff Sgt. Wayne Rideout, head of the RCMP's Integrated Homicide Team
- -- responsible for investigating many of the Indo-Canadian gang deaths
- -- said most Indo-Canadian gangsters are relatively small players in
the drug trade, often only a few steps above street dealers.

"They're not the millionaire gangsters," said Rideout. "They don't
appear to be into the huge shipments. They tend to be low-end. Most
of the people we investigate have leased cars. They drive fancy
vehicles, but they don't have any assets."

The closest comparison to Indo-Canadian gangsters, said Rideout, is
the inner-city street gangs in Los Angeles. "They're drawn by the
status," he said.

Rideout said police estimate there are 30 to 40 separate Indo-Canadian
gangs in the Lower Mainland, each made up of about three or four key
members and maybe a dozen associates.

For the most part, he said, Indo-Canadian gangsters don't have the
money at their disposal to move up the drug-trade food chain. "They
don't have the cash base to go out there and buy homes like the
Vietnamese [gangs]," said Rideout.

Which means, he said, that while Indo-Canadian gangsters are often
involved in ripping off growing operations, they rarely set them up
themselves.

And many, said Rideout, still live at home with their
families.

"They're all mama's boys," he said. "They live with their moms. Their
moms wash their clothes. Their moms cook their meals. And they go out
and commit murders and then come home."

The violence among Indo-Canadian gangs is also more sporadic than in
other crime groups, said Rideout. While Asian gangs or bikers may
carry out calculated hits or acts of extortion for economic reasons,
many Indo-Canadian killings are over issues of pride or bravado, he
said -- sometimes over something as simple as an insult.

"It's done more for passion than economics," he said.

Yet, despite their lack of sophistication, Indo-Canadian gangs are
still a concern for police because their violence has greater
potential to hurt innocent bystanders than the violence of other gangs.

"The bikers tend to take someone out in the bush," Rideout said. "But
the East Indians want to let people know that they're capable of doing
it, so they want to do it in the most brazen way possible."

That means shootings in clubs and restaurants -- or spraying homes
with gunfire -- all of which increase the potential that innocent
bystanders could get caught in the crossfire.

Rideout said police get reports of about three to four drive-by
shootings a week in the Lower Mainland that are connected to
Indo-Canadian gang violence. "It's miraculous that no one [innocent]
has been shot in their bed," said Rideout. "It's going to happen.
They're so unpredictable and bravado-driven."

Police admit that, in the past few decades, they haven't had as much
success as they'd like in combatting organized crime.

The Mounties' own 2003 report cites an "historical failure" in
gathering and distributing intelligence on organized-crime groups to
front-line investigators. While police have gathered significant
information on organized-crime figures, the report states, "little . .
. has been recorded in a consistent manner or in a format and place
accessible to intelligence personnel."

Richards admits the track record of police in B.C. is not great. "I've
talked about the collective failure of law enforcement to recognize
the bikers as an organized-crime threat," he said, noting the Angels
arrived in B.C. in 1983. "They ran pretty much unfettered for a long
time and became very well established."

But police are hopeful that things are beginning to
change.

Police and prosecutors have racked up a handful of successful
prosecutions against biker-gang members and Asian organized-crime
figures in recent years -- such as the conviction of Hells Angels
members Ronaldo Lising and Francisco Pires for cocaine trafficking in
2001.

And they are hopeful things will get better. "I've seen some slow and
steady progress in the last few years," Richards said.

"We're beginning to see additional resources and manpower directed
towards the fight against the bikers.

"I think we're beginning to get it right in B.C. I think it's becoming
enough of a priority for enough people."

cskelton@png.canwest.com

B.C.'S ORGANIZED CRIME FAMILIES:

Hells Angels and Vietnamese gangs are considered the most
sophisticated groups, while Indo-Canadian gangs rank among the most
violent

OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE GANGS/HELLS ANGELS

Size

There are 95 members of the Hells Angels in seven chapters in the
Lower Mainland and Nanaimo. There are also dozens of "associates" who
are trusted friends of club members and assist in criminal activities.

Criminal activities

Heavily involved in B.C.'s $6-billion marijuana-growing industry,
importing and distributing cocaine, hashish and increasingly,
methamphetamine. Extortion, debt collection.

Propensity for violence

High. The Angels rule by fear and intimidation and aren't afraid to
use violence to protect turf and criminal interests. Police are
concerned about the Bandidos, a U.S. motorcycle gang already
established in Washington state, moving into B.C. and sparking violence.

Level of sophistication

High. This is reflected in the low number of successful
prosecutions.

Geographic reach

The Hells Angels have a network of chapters across Canada, the U.S.,
South America, Africa and Europe.

Structure/hierarchy

Organized into chapters in various cities, but no single crime boss.
Each member works as his own boss, if he wants, and in small cells to
elude police detection. "They are disciplined and well led," says
Vancouver RCMP Insp. Bob Paulson, in charge of major investigations
involving outlaw motorcycle gangs.

ASIAN

Size

Unknown. Police say there are dozens of small Vietnamese groups
operating in B.C. The most prominent Asian gang in the Vancouver area
is the Big Circle Boys, also known as Dai Huen Jai.

Criminal activities

Vietnamese groups control about 85 per cent of the marijuana-growing
operations in the Lower Mainland and most of the drug trade on
Vancouver Island, north of Nanaimo. They have recently branched out
into methamphetamine. They also use Big Circle Boys connections to
export pot to the U.S. The Big Circle Boys have made the Lower
Mainland a hotbed of counterfeit credit-card fraud activity. BCB's
mainstay is importing and distributing cocaine and southeast Asian
heroin. BCB members have been involved in murder, loan-sharking,
people-smuggling, extortion, home-invasion robberies and exporting
stolen luxury cars to Asia.

Propensity for violence

Vietnamese gangsters are known for being ruthless and unpredictably
violent during confrontations. Other Asian crime groups are more
low-key, not wanting to attract police attention, but will resort to
violence and murder to protect their criminal interests.

Level of sophistication

High. Vietnamese have developed a marijuana-growing system that has
been exported to Vietnamese groups in Ontario and Australia. Big
Circle Boys have computer experts for credit-card fraud and use
off-shore accounts and shell companies to launder money and elude
police detection.

Geographic reach

Vietnamese and Big Circle Boys have national networks in such major
cities as Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal, and are
expanding into smaller cities. BCB has a similar national network in
the U.S. Some local Asian gangsters are connected to Hong Kong triads,
secret societies of criminals.

Structure/hierarchy

Asian crime groups typically organize in small groups with low-ranking
members answering to a crime boss, called a Dai Lo (big brother).

EASTERN EUROPEAN

Size

Unknown. They are difficult for police to get a handle on because they
use so many languages. Members are from Russia and other former Soviet
Union countries.

Criminal activities

Mainly known for drug trafficking and credit/debit-card fraud. But
also involved in people-smuggling, money-laundering, extortion, export
of stolen luxury vehicles. Also have infiltrated diamond industry in
Russia and southern Africa.

Propensity for violence

Medium. Don't usually like drawing police attention, but will use
violence if necessary.

Level of sophistication

Varies. Often rely on expertise of individuals outside the group to
assist in a criminal undertaking. Three members of a Romanian crime
group were recently arrested in Vancouver for allegedly being involved
in a highly sophisticated automatic-banking-machine fraud. Police say
they used a bogus card -reader to download magnetic-strip information
from cards and recorded personal identification numbers by using a
tiny, overhead camera linked to a remote video monitor. Eastern
Europeans are also involved in counterfeit currency, exporting stolen
luxury cars, money-laundering and smuggling women, especially from
Russia, to work as prostitutes and in massage parlours.

Geographic reach

Operate across the country but mainly concentrated in Ontario. Highly
mobile with varying levels of presence in B.C., Alberta and

Quebec.

Structure/hierarchy

Operate in small cells.

INDEPENDENTS AND INDO-CANADIANS

Size

Unknown.

Criminal activities

Independents are primarily involved in marijuana-growing operations,
where profits are used to fund legitimate businesses. They often
cooperate with Asians and Hells Angels to distribute their "product."
Indo-Canadians operate many dial-a-dope operations, using pagers and
cellphones to deliver drugs on the street. Indo-Canadian truckers are
lured by quick cash to smuggle B.C.-grown marijuana across the U.S.
border.

Propensity for violence

High, mainly because members are young and show poor
impulse

control. Shifting allegiances lead to violence, usually involving
guns, among Indo-Canadian males. There have been more than 60
gang-related murders in B.C. involving Indo-Canadians in the last 15
years.

Level of sophistication

Low.

Geographic reach

Concentrated primarily in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, lower
Vancouver Island and Alberta.

Structure/hierarchy

Loosely organized in small groups of friends and relatives.

TRADITIONAL (ITALIAN-BASED) ORGANIZATIONS

Size

Unknown.

Criminal activities

Involved in illegal gaming such as sports betting, marijuana-growing
operations, drug distribution, overseas lottery-ticket sales, debt
collection and stock-market manipulation. Invest profits in real
estate and such traditional businesses as construction companies, bars
and restaurants.

Propensity for violence

Medium to high. Don't like to attract police attention.

Level of sophistication

Medium. Most groups have existed for several generations.

Geographic reach

Concentrated primarily in Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara
region of Ontario. While Mafia members remain low-profile in the
Vancouver area, they do exist and have a symbiotic relationship with
the Hells Angels in B.C. that is based on "social ties and illicit
businesses," says the 2004 Annual Report on Organized Crime in Canada,
published by the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada.

Structure/hierarchy

Operate in small groups but report to a crime boss known as the
godfather.