8 charged after bust at Outlaws club in Grand Falls-Windsor
An RCMP operation called "Project Barbarian" has led to eight people charged with drug trafficking in Grand Falls-Windsor after a weekend raid.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, police said they have laid eight charges of trafficking cocaine related to the bust, which happened at the Outlaws Motorcycle Club clubhouse in Grand Falls-Windsor on Saturday, while about 30 people were inside.
"This will have a significant disruption" on drug trafficking in central Newfoundland, said RCMP Staff Sgt. Stefan Thoms, who is part of the RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime division.
The investigation began four months ago, and Thoms said it's still ongoing.
The RCMP said six of the eight people charged are part of the "Fallen Few" — a support group for the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Police say the club is a "one-percenter" organization, and allege it has links to crime. In 2018, police said the Outlaws were looking to expand their presence in Newfoundland.
"The common term '1% Club' distinguishes outlaw motorcycle riders from the majority of motorcycle enthusiasts who are law-abiding citizens. It's worn as a symbol by outlaw bikers and often seen as a pin, patch or tattoo," according to the RCMP.
Police say they seized several items, including cocaine, phones, patches and other clothing related to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club and the Fallen Few
The clubhouse is located in a complex across from a gas station, and next to Central Health's community health building.
The men facing charges of trafficking cocaine are Jimmy Lee Newman, 36; Anthony Chow, 33; Michael Hayes, 23; Timothy Andrews, 28; Ryan Ballard, 28; Alonzo Brown, 62; Tyson Higgins, 27; Dean Langdon, 25.
All of the men are from Grand Falls-Windsor, except Higgins, who is from Botwood, and Brown, who is from Peterview.
They have all appeared in court and are due back in April.
Chow has a criminal record that includes breaking and entering. The last conviction on record was for an offence in 2007.
Thoms said it was a joint effort among law enforcement agencies, including members of the RCMP's Federal Serious and Organized Crime unit in N.L., plus RCMP resources in Grand Falls-Windsor and emergency response teams.
"We require those boots on the ground in places like Grand Falls-Windsor where local detachment members have a lot of the intelligence and information that assist us in building our case," he told reporters Wednesday.
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