Right-hand man of Quebec gang leader arrested in Portugal after being wanted for months
A man who was a close associate of the leader of the Blood Family Mafia (BFM) was arrested in Lisbon, Portugal, on Thursday.
Roobens Denis, 31, was arrested by local authorities after being wanted by Quebec City Police for seven months.
Denis was wanted for drug trafficking offences, said police in a statement. They say Interpol issued a red notice — a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.
Denis is considered by police to be a right-hand man of Dave "Pic" Turmel, the leader of the BFM, who is also wanted. The BFM has been entangled in a bloody conflict with the Hells Angels for almost a year.
Roobens Denis, left, posing beside Dave "Pic" Turmel, right, who is still wanted by police. (Provided by the Service de police de la Ville de Québec )
Extradition proceedings will be initiated as of Friday. If accepted, Quebec City police will take charge of the extradition procedure to bring Denis back to Canada to face justice.
Sources tell Radio-Canada that for the past year, Quebec City street gangs and independent drug dealers have been refusing to pay Hells Angels a 10 per cent fee to sell drugs on its territories.
On Thursday, Quebec police forces announced they had arrested more than 30 people during operations targeting areas of Montreal, Longueuil, Saguenay and Sept-Îles, Que., following a surge of violent crimes linked to gangs.
