OPP Sgt. Dave Rector positions Bandidos vest seized in raids near Iona Station prior to a news conference in London, Ontario. Note MC and 1% patches.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
The U.S. Department of Justice defines Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs as organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises[36]. Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada have designated four MCs as Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs), which are the Pagans, Hells Angels, Outlaws MC, and Bandidos,[37][38] known as the "Big Four".[39]
These four have a large enough national impact to be prosecuted under the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute.[40]
The FBI asserts that OMGs collect $1 billion in illegal income annually[45][46] and that street gangs, prison gangs, and OMGs are the primary retail distributors of illegal drugs in the US,[47][48] with OMGs dominating US methamphetamine trade distribution.[49][50]
Canada, especially, has in the past two decades experienced a significant upsurge in crime involving outlaw motorcycle gangs, most notably in what has been dubbed the Quebec Biker war, which has involved more than 150 murders[53] (plus a young bystander killed by an exploding car bomb), 84 bombings, and 130 cases of arson.[44] The increased violence in Canada has been attributed to turf wars over the illegal drug trafficking business, specifically relating to access to the Port of Montreal[54] , but also as the Hells Angels have sought to obtain control of the street level trade from other rival and/or independent gangs in various regions of Canada.[55]