The national police force alleged illegal handguns imported from the United States were to be used for personal protection and distributed to criminal organization members in Canada.
The RCMP announced Friday that two people had been charged with a number of firearms-related offences in Ottawa, including one who the national police force described as a full-patch Hells Angels member.
The Ottawa detachment’s Transnational and Serious Organized Crime Section (TSOC) conducted a search of an Ottawa residence in February 2022 in support of an international organized crime investigation led by the Winnipeg RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime team. The investigation targeted trafficking of illicit drugs and firearms across Canada, a media release said.
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The statement also said the search of the Ottawa residence resulted in the discovery of 12 illegal handguns, several prohibited high-capacity magazines, ammunition and a device used to convert semi-automatic pistols to automatic.
The RCMP alleged the illegal handguns, imported from the United States, were to be used for personal protection and distributed to criminal organization members in Canada.
A 41-year-old man described by RCMP as a full-patch Hells Angels member with the Attica chapter in Greece, was arrested in Ottawa, police said Friday. He is scheduled to appear in Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa on Feb. 15.
A 28-year-old woman was not arrested, but an arrest warrant has been issued for her, police said.
Each faces multiple counts of firearms-related charges.
Damion Patrick Ryan is scheduled to appear in court on February 15, 2023, via video at the Ontario Court of Justice at 161 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario.
“This discovery of illegal firearms and ammunition demonstrates the concerning and pervasive nature of organized criminal activity in our communities,” Insp. Islam Issa, Ottawa detachment commander, was quoted as saying in Friday’s release. “The firearm seizures and arrest of the Hells Angels member is the result of a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional law-enforcement effort, that has successfully disrupted the flow of illegal handguns onto our streets, leading to safer communities.”
People facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It’s our policy not to name those charged unless we plan to follow the case through the justice system or it’s of significant public interest to identify them.