Gang raids land pair in court

A police raid in Montreal and neighbouring cities Wednesday night led to the arrest of two alleged street gang members in the wake of targeted hits against high-profile underworld leaders.

About 12 different groups of police swooped down on suspected gang hangouts in the Montreal North, St. Michel and Rivière des Prairies sectors. Two firearms were also seized.

Two suspects appeared in court Thursday charged with weapons offences.

Steve Grandoit and Max Jean Louis each face three charges: possession of a restricted weapon; possession of said weapon without proper permit; and being in a car in which he knew there was a prohibited or restricted weapon.

Both men are known to authorities, said Montreal police commander Ian Lafrenière.

The arrests came after the killing of reputed Bo-Gars leader Chénier Dupuy last Friday and the slaying of Lamartine Sévère Paul in Laval hours later.

While the arrests are not necessarily linked to those cases, Lafrenière said it’s fair to say they are part of the police force’s response to the slayings.

Other incidents of gang-related violence resurfaced earlier in the week. A suspected gang member was stabbed in downtown Montreal on Monday night. A cab driver escaped a drive-by shooting unharmed in St. Michel early Tuesday.

While the raids produced only two arrests, police say they’re happy to be applying pressure to known criminals.