The Ministry of Public Safety has announced that it has filed a claim seeking forfeiture of three Hells Angels clubhouses in B.C., including one that is located in Surrey.
According to a release from the ministry, the effort is to target and undercut organized crime in B.C.
The clubhouses include the Mission chapter, the Hardside chapter in Surrey, and the Haney chapter in Pitt Meadows.
Allegations against the properties suggest that they’ve been financed and maintained using funds that were derived from unlawful activity, “and are alleged to be the proceeds and instruments of crime.”
“Organized crime has no place in B.C., and our government has been working with focus and resolve to go after gangs and remove the profits of criminal activities,” said Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, in a release.
“As criminals attempt to hide their illegal activities and shield their members from law enforcement, we are finding ways to permanently take away their assets while protecting British Columbians.”
Clubhouses are crucial for the operation of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, according to the ministry. It adds that the successful forfeiture would be a “major disruption” to the gang’s operations.
On top of these three clubhouses, there’s ongoing litigation against the Devil’s Army clubhouse in Campbell River. The ministry calls the Devil’s Army a “puppet club” for Hells Angels, adding that the Campbell River property is owned by Richard Alexander, a founding member of the Devil’s Army, and a man who was convicted of murder in 2023.
“The funds from previous forfeitures and any received from these new claims will go directly toward supporting communities in B.C.,” the release adds.
The last time the ministry was involved in an action like this was back in October 2023, when three properties, including one in Vancouver, one in Kelowna and one in Nanaimo, were forfeited with the potential to be up for sale to the public.
The Hells Angels were also in the news this summer for a large funeral procession that impacted traffic around Metro Vancouver.