The Ontario Provincial Police have taken 20 firearms off the streets during a crackdown on motorcycle gangs.
This investigation started in September, focusing on people linked to a support group of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.
On October 1, various OPP units including the Biker Enforcement Unit, Tactics and Rescue Unit, Emergency Response Team, Canine Unit, Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit, and Essex County Community Street Crime Unit all gathered at a home in Belle River.
They conducted searches of the house and two vehicles.
During the searches, police discovered 19 rifles and shotguns, one prohibited handgun, 1.5 ounces of cocaine, an illegal over-capacity magazine, ammunition, digital scales, two outlaw motorcycle vests, and $70,000 Canadian cash.
A 52-year-old man from Belle River is facing charges for possession of a prohibited device or ammunition, unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm, possession of property obtained through crime over $5,000, and possession with intent to distribute.
A second suspect is a 31-year-old man also from Belle River who has similar charges along with an additional charge for careless storage of a firearm.
“The presence of firearms, drugs and significant proceeds of crime underscores the connection between outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal activity,” said Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart of the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau. “Through intelligence-led investigations and collaboration with policing partners, we will continue to identify, disrupt, and dismantle those who profit from criminal enterprises and threaten the safety of Ontario communities.”
Both individuals have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Windsor on December 23, 2026.
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