By Canadian Press

Bacchus and Outlaws biker gangs expanding in Newfoundland, RCMP say

Jun 28, 2018 | 12:30 PM

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — The expansion of two outlaw motorcycle gangs in Newfoundland and Labrador has drawn the attention of top law enforcement officials.

RCMP Staff-Sgt. Stephen Conohan said the Bacchus and Outlaws biker gangs are broadening their reach across the only province in Canada without its own Hells Angels chapter or support group.

“That’s what we’re seeing — that’s the landscape in Newfoundland and Labrador,” he said Thursday after a briefing in St. John’s. “We’re seeing an expansion.”

Conohan, who is in charge of criminal intelligence, said the Hells Angels — the world’s most notorious motorcycle gang — experienced a serious setback in the fall of 2016 when the RCMP and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary wrapped up Project Bombard. The two-year operation virtually wiped out a sanctioned Hells Angels support club known as the Vikings.

Nine members and one associate of the Vikings were charged with numerous offences, including second-degree murder, drug trafficking and charges related to organized crime.

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Those cases are still before the courts.

“They did have a foothold, but we’ve gone to great lengths to eradicate that and dismantle them,” Conohan said.

Still, the Hells Angels and their support clubs continue to frequent the province to make their presence felt.

“They’ll come and they’ll show the colours,” he said, referring to the leather vests with distinctive death’s-head insignia worn by so-called full-patch members. ” I call it peacocking.”

Conohan says the Outlaws and Bacchus gangs, which are both based in Grand Falls-Windsor in central Newfoundland, have tolerated each other for several years. In fact, each outlaw club has members with relatives in the other gang.

But the more recent expansions could lead to trouble.

The Outlaws now have two prospective chapters in Bishop’s Falls and Centreville. And the Bacchus gang has expanded with a prospective chapter in Conception Bay South, near St. John’s.

Despite the relative peace between the two clubs, there’s no guarantee things will stay that way.

“They have a rich history of being in conflict with one another,” said Conohan, referring to violent episodes in the United States. “There’s almost like a battle for supremacy …. As they jockey for position, that’s where you see conflict.”

With warmer weather on the way, police expect the two gangs to be staging mass rides that will be closely monitored.

Conohan said he and his team of organized crime specialists have made it a point to get to know the leaders of each gang.

“We’re on a first-name basis,” he said. “They expect to see me and the other biker investigators. We go right to the clubhouse and we ask to speak with a ranking member.”

On Thursday, the Mounties and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary held a technical briefing for journalists to explain how motorcycle gangs work in the province.

The RCMP later issued a statement asking the public to report any sightings of large groups of bikers on the move.

“We urge the public not to engage with these gangs,” the statement said. “Report sightings and any suspected illegal activity to the police so we can take enforcement action and remind these gang members that they too are subject to the same rules and regulations as all citizens.”

— By Michael MacDonald in Halifax

The Canadian Press