ORGANIZED CRIME HITS HOME

It would be naive to think that Greater Victoria is exempt from the
reality - not to mention repercussions - of organized crime.

In the past week police in Vancouver and Kelowna arrested 19 people
on a variety of charges related to drug trafficking, extortion and
explosives. Of those arrested, seven are full-patch members of the
Hells Angels. The remainder of those arrested are associates of the
organization whose members insist they are nothing more than Harley
Davidson motorcycle enthusiasts. The police raids on the Hells
Angels' East End Chapter clubhouse in Vancouver and the Angels
Kelowna clubhouse of the the Kelowna would suggest that members of
the organization do more than take Sunday afternoon motorcycle rides together.

After all, police confiscated more than 20 kilograms of crystal meth;
more than 20 kilograms of cocaine; and more than 70 kilograms of
B.C.-grown marijuana. As well, other items police came across include
$200,000 in Canadian currency, grenades, weapons with silencers and
dynamite. Many of the Angels have also been charged with committing
crimes for he benefit of a criminal organization But there is no
Hells Angels chapter in the Capital Region - the closest chapter is
in Nanaimo - so what's all this got to do with Greater Victoria?

Victoria police Deputy Chief Geoff Varley provided a simple answer to
the question. Members of the Hells Angels, he pointed out, are
involved in the drug trade and a substantial quantity of those drugs
wind up on the streets of the Capital Region.

I think vicariously (the Hells Angels) are obviously connected to our
drug trade," Varley said.