PAPERS REVEAL THUGGISH LIFE OF DRUG GANGS

Newly released court documents reveal details of a deadly turf war
over Thompson's lucrative drug trade.

Revelations in the voluminous police affidavits include new details
of a plot to kill a rogue drug dealer that forced police to pull the
plug on a year-long undercover investigation.

Search warrants, arrest warrants and police affidavits connected to
Project Drill -- a joint police investigation that led to the arrest
of 18 Hells Angels members and associates last December -- were made
public for the first time yesterday.

The evidence comes from undercover and wiretap recordings obtained
with the help of a police agent sources have identified as career
criminal Scott Robertson, 49.

In the year leading up to the arrests, Thompson was the scene of
mounting tension between the Hells Angels and local gangs jockeying
for control of the drug trade, the documents reveal.

Bekim Zeneli, leader of the LHS (Loyalty, Honour, Silence) gang, was
targeted for death in December 2006 following a meeting of several
Hells Angels and associates in Winnipeg. In a remarkable revelation,
Hells Angel Billy Bowden -- an alleged Zeneli ally -- was also
targeted for violent retribution if he did not "side with the club,"
the documents say.

Police warned both Zeneli and Bowden by letter that they were the
targets of death threats.

Zeneli, 33, was found dead of a gunshot wound nearly a year later in
his Thompson home. No arrests have been made in connection with his death.

Bowden is currently wanted for arrest after he failed to turn up in
court earlier this month on drug and gun charges.

Police questioned Thompson resident Sean Heickert in Zeneli's death
but he was released without being charged.

Heickert, say the court documents, was the subject of a murder plot
by rival drug dealers that sources say prompted police to put an end
to the undercover investigation.

During early discussions of the murder plot, the police agent was
advised by his handlers to "be the voice of reason and dissuade them
from taking any action," say the court documents.

'NO CHOICE BUT TO KILL'

Police charged Oshawa Hells Angel James Allan Heickert, Stanley
Anthony Lucovic and Dean Gurniak with conspiracy to commit murder.
Previous media reports identified James and Sean Heickert as
brothers. The police documents suggest the two men are not related.

During a November 2007 meeting at a Winnipeg hotel, Lucovic says the
three accused "have no choice but to kill Heikert themselves," the
court documents allege. "Gurniak agreed because no one there will
help them. Lucovic stated that Thompson is their home, they live
there and they are not leaving."

Police in Thompson arrested Gurniak and Lucovic on Dec. 2 and
charged them with uttering threats to kill Heickert. Police notified
Heickert of the threats but he refused to provide a statement, say
court documents.

The allegations have not been proven in court.