An insider’s view of the Hells clubhouse

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/08/2010 (5598 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – Photographs of the Manitoba Hells Angels clubhouse seized last week by the provincial government were made available to the media Thursday from court documents unsealed this week. Police say the 2,865-square-foot Scotia Street home was both a Las Vegas-style party pad and the hub of criminal activity, such as drug trafficking and money laundering.

The walls were covered with photographs of other Hells Angels members and chapters around the world.The Manitoba chapter had a large supply of "support wear" T-shirts, hats and tuques that carried slogans such as "Silence is golden, duct tape is silver;" "When in doubt knock ’em out;" "Three can keep a secret if two are dead;" and "Shoot rats, not drugs."

Police say there was an "extraordinary" surveillance system surrounding the property, which included nine hidden exterior cameras monitored 24 hours a day by members assigned to work "the shift." Some of the cameras possessed "night vision" that would allow the bikers to clearly see images in the dark.

The seizure by Manitoba Justice officials is the first of its kind in the province and mirrors similar moves by governments in Ontario and British Columbia.