Four Bahamians arrested in Canadian gang raid

A Hamilton police officer is seen in this undated photo (Twitter/@HamiltonPolice)

By EEARYEL BOWLEG

Personal reporter of the Tribune

FOUR Bahamians are among two dozen people Canadian police have arrested in an investigation into a street gang believed to have close ties to a Bahamian gang.

Eric Hilton Stuart, 35, Robert Mader, 41, Devon Deon Laing, 29, and Rashad Cooper, 36, are among those arrested, according to Canadian news organizations.

Three of the men were already wanted for crimes in the Bahamas: Laing is wanted for attempted murder, Cooper for breach of bail and Stuart for possession of dangerous drugs.

The investigation resulted in 172 charges. In addition, 14 firearms, 880 grams of cocaine, and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl were seized.

According to CBC, a Canadian news outlet, the investigation centered on a Hamiliton street gang called the “Hot Mali Squad.”

The Hamilton Police Service claimed the gang was linked to “drug dealing, robbery, daylight shootings and murders”.

Hamilton police have identified a record spike in shootings, with 58 so far this year.

The gang is said to have links to “Dirty South”, a faction of the Bahamian street gang One Order.

“Targeting this violent street gang has been crucial to addressing the increase in shootings in Hamilton because this group has operated at the epicenter of gun violence, fueling fear, instability and evil in the community,” Chief Frank Bergen said, according to the CBC.

On November 13, 2024, with the assistance of Halton Regional Police Service, Niagara Regional Police Service, London Police Service, Peel Regional Police Service, OPP and Waterloo Regional Police conducted 17 search warrants as part of the project. Warrants were executed in Hamilton, Niagara Falls, St Catharines and London.

The charges relate to trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, possession of a loaded prohibited firearm, domestic assault, conspiracy to commit an indictable felony, robbery, proceeds of crime over $5,000 and making threats total.