Throughout the course of last week, following the incidents which took place in Saint-Malachie and the kidnapping of 28 year old Michael Chouinard, authorities decided to clampdown on individuals involved in the drug war taking place in the East of the province. Most notably arresting 17 member`s and associates linked to the Blood Family Mafia.
A new operation brought on by the SQ and SPVQ intertwines SPVQ’s Projet Malsain, an operation aimed to tackling drug trafficking in the nation’s capitol and recently made Operation Scandaleux. This has led to the Service de Police de la Ville de Quebec (SPVQ) having a record year in the number of arrests, seizures and investigations performed.
Last week, we left you with a story that covered the kidnapping of a Saguenay resident, Michael Chouinard. Police had announced his disappearance publicly on Wednesday night (21/02/2024). This event was believed to have been linked to the drug war that stemmed in Quebec City. Chouinard was known to have worked for Saguenay resident and drug dealer on-the-run, All Boivin.
In the wee hours of the morning on Thursday at around 2am, a disorientated man waved a car down for help in the borough of Rosemont, in Montreal. That man was Chouinard, barely a day after he was mentioned on the news. The driver called the authorities and relayed what they just had seen. Martin Chouinard was not unscathed but rather was missing a finger, as well as a toe. This incident had occurred close the the intersection of Belanger Street and 42nd Avenue.
Chouinard didn’t have a hefty criminal record, most notably an assault charge in 2017. It’d be hard to connect the kidnapping to the drug war, but there were only a couple facts that made police think it was in relation to it. The fact that, in the past, Chouinard was known to work for All Boivin, supplementing the fact that he was known as a drug dealer in the region of Saguenay.
All Boivin is a Saguenay native, aged 33 year old. He is considered one of the most important figures in the drug trafficking scene in the region of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. He also opposes the Hells Angels, hence, the reason why police suspect the kidnapping of Chouinard goes hand in hand with the drug war.
On February 15th of 2023, the Service de Police de la Ville de Saguenay (SPVS) effected a seizure that resulted in 4 kilograms of cocaine, 4 kilograms of marijuana, 1500 Xanax pills, 7 cars and around 95,000$ in cash money. This was an investigation that had started in August of 2021. Authorities also set out an arrest warrant for All Boivin, but the man was nowhere to be found. Boivin decided to go on the lam, to this day authorities haven’t managed to track the man. It has been a year since he fled.
With the recent uptake in violence, the SQ and the SPVQ decided to put their foot down and try to bring all this violence to a halt. As it goes, on Friday they had publicly announced they would be making an effort, calling nearly 200 police officers from six different police corps, including the RCMP, SQ, SPVQ, SPVL and the SPVS to participate in this clampdown.
They told media outlets they would be going in several bars and talking to people which are suspected to be involved in this affair. Not only in the Region of Quebec, but also on the Cote-Nord, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and in the Chaudiere-Appalaches. This is the biggest joint task-force in the province of Quebec since Operation SharQC launched in 2009. These efforts stem from the hostage-taking and torture which took place earlier on in the week, eventually leading to one person being murdered.
It did not take long for the authorities to launch this operation, which they decided to named ‘Operation Scandaleux’. They started visiting bars at around 7pm when they stopped and raided Quebec Broue; a Hooters-Style watering hole, which is also a franchise throughout the city of Quebec. They would then raid numerous other bars in the city throughout the night. Not only was the city police present, but also the provincial police accompanied with the RCMP. Police forces in Saguenay, Chaudiere-Appalaches and Cote-Nord had started their investigations on Thursday night.
Since Friday, 18 suspects were arrested, 17 of which were Blood Family Mafia members or associates. Keep in mind that the Hells Angels Quebec City Chapter only have 16 members, but it’s the puppet clubs that make it a driving source.
Evan Lavoie, 21, Andreanne Dominique, 37, Remi Fournier, 38, and Dave Galienne-Picard, 30, Were charged with kidnapping and assault with regards to events that took place from the 12th of February all the way to the 20th. Charlotte Montambault-Vaillancourt, 32, also faced charges in relation to possession; most specifically GHB, cocaine and methamphetamine. Nicholas Cote, 45, was charged with the criminal arson of KCR Karting in Chateau-Richer in the first weeks of February 2024. This criminal arson might have been plotted with Patrick Boisvert, Pierre-Alexandre Paquet-Couturier, Ronnie James St-Hilaire and Carl Martineau.
Two other suspects appeared in court Saturday afternoon. Francis Gauthier-Marcoux, 32, and Bianco Simard were both charged with conspiracy to commit a double-murder taking place last November. Maxime Maheux was also arrested with two charges of criminal arson which took place in Sainte-Marguerite-de-Beauce.
In addition to all these arrests performed Saturday, there were also 4 people charged with assault and kidnapping Sunday. The individuals involved were as follows; James Celestin, 39, David Marceau-Maillefert, 34, Jean-Francois Dion, ,36, and an unidentified women who was set free not long after her arrest. Amongst the items seized were drugs, bulletproof vests, as well as a torture room used as a part of the conflict.
With most arrest warrants aimed at the Blood Family Mafia and associates, you might be wondering how the Hells Angels MC might be holding it’s ground throughout the first week of this police crackdown.
It’s no wonder the HA want this drama to be done and over with. The other 4 Hells Angels chapters around the province want the Quebec City chapter to take a hold of this conflict; so much so, that other chapter members are starting to be willing to help out in resolving this issue. Hells Angels QC member, Mario ‘Banane’ Auger was frequented by police this past Friday, which he unveiled that he was targeted in a kidnapping attempt which he evaded earlier on in the week following the siege at Saint-Malachie.
Auger was one of the first people to impose the 10% tax on the Bellechase and Quebec regions of the province. HA members in Montreal will also be paid a visit in the following week as well as Mathieu Pelletier, Dave ‘Pic’ Turmel’s past drug dealer and HA Quebec City member.
Turmel’s street gang seems to be having second thoughts with this police crackdown happening. Why would they risk jail time for a leader who isn’t participating? Interpol has been notified of Turmel’s involvement in recent crimes but aren’t pressed to do something about the situation. It is believed he is hiding in Portugal. Recent information also points to Turmel having a hit put on his head. The question remains; Will authorities get to him first, or the Hells Angels MC.
