Police raiding criminal networks linked to major rival biker clubs
were pretty sure they'd find guns and other contraband inside. They weren't expecting
a stash of grenades and grenade launchers, though. Especially since this is in Canada
But there they were, box after box of military- style grenades, ready to go in padded cases
They tested them to make sure
Yep, they go boom
The discovery sent investigators scrambling to see
if these were munitions diverted from the armed forces into the black market
The Mob Reporter here with news of the end of a large police probe
that netted four separate criminal organizations in southwestern Ontario
One linked to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club and another to the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club
Let me tell you about it. Southwestern Ontario is a large area of cities dotting agricultural
land, stretching from west of Toronto across to Canada's border with the United States at Detroit
The Detroit-Windsor border crossing is where many of the illegal guns in Canada come from, smuggled
in from gun-rich America. The Ontario Provincial Police's Biker Enforcement Unit coordinated
simultaneous raids last week, in what police call Project Weaver, focused on the area around two
cities: Brantford, about 60 miles west of Toronto, and London, a further 60 miles along the highway
There were two criminal networks in each city, one was directly linked by police to the Outlaws MC
a storied one-percenter biker club formed in the suburbs of Chicago in 1935. Their first chapter
outside of the United States was in Ontario in 1977. A probationary vest for the Outlaws was
seized by police in London. At least two of the five people arrested there are known as members
of the London chapter of the Outlaws, including its past president Ryan Daniel, 44, who faces 12 charges
including weapons trafficking and drug trafficking Daniel is known by the nickname "Big Red
On one hand, it makes sense given his size at six- foot-three and 450 pounds and his ginger beard
Still, it's a curious nickname for an Outlaws leader who has allegedly been in the thick
of battles with the Hells Angels — a club that is often called the Big Red Machine
The Outlaws have a long fierce rivalry with the Hells Angels — the feud that started in
the United States has followed the two clubs to Canada. Another of the networks, one of the two
based in Brantford, has connections to the Hells Angels, but not as explicitly as the Outlaws' link
One of the two arrested in the probe of that network is Jamie Hill, 31. His social media
presence places him in the Angels' orbit, but not as a member. His Facebook profile for instance
shows him wearing a T-shirt with distinctive lettering that reads
"Support your Local Red & White," which is the club's prominent nickname in biker culture
Hill faces 23 charges, including weapon and drug trafficking. There was a time when Ontario was
largely considered Outlaws territory and neighboring Quebec Hells Angels territory
But that's no longer the case. Ontario has become a patchwork of red and black
The grenades were discovered in one of the Brantford raids, but not from the network Hill
is alleged to be part of. This stash, police allege, was linked to Sean Sutherland, 32, of
Hamilton, Ontario, who faces 126 charges, and Brandon Spalding, 31, of Brantford, who faces 50 charges
Among the charges both men face are possession of explosives and weapons trafficking. The Project
Weaver investigation began in September 2020, when police learned of significant
gun and drug trafficking activities that had been going on for at least a year
Their investigation led to these four distinct networks, some of which interacted
and some of which had zero connection to the others. That's likely a nod to the rivalry
between the Outlaws and the Hells Angels — they're not going to be working together
All told, there were 10 people arrested after 11 search warrant raids in seven different cities
and towns. Police said 31 guns of various types were seized, along with two grenade launchers
81 grenades, three explosive projectiles, more than 10 kilos of cocaine, and 216 pounds of
illegal cannabis, five pounds of hash, 36 pounds of magic mushrooms, 22 other prohibited devices
and close to $150000 in cash in both U.S. and Canadian currencies
Police are tracing the origins of the guns and the grenades
Investigators with the Canadian military have confirmed the grenades are not, in fact, purloined
military munitions. They're just made to look like it. Police won't say where they came from yet
As for the handguns and long guns, some have already been traced
Some of them came across the border from the United States and others were sourced domestically
Police also seized eight vehicles
but none of them were motorcycles. It's still winter in Canada, after all. Thanks for watching