The results of Project Barbarian sat on tables at the RCMP detachment in Grand Falls-Windsor on Wednesday morning.
There were leather vests, sweaters, belts and rings — all belonging to members of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and their affiliate group, The Fallen Few.
Staff Sgt. Stephen Conohan, the provincial RCMP director of criminal intelligence, explained the intricacies of each patch and vest to a group of reporters, town officials and police officers.
Conohan and Staff Sgt. Stefan Thoms of RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime were in town to give a status update on Project Barbarian and how it related to a weekend raid at the Outlaws clubhouse in Grand Falls-Windsor.
“The whole purpose of the RCMP conducting investigations such as Project Barbarian is to disrupt and dismantle organized crime and we certainly consider members of outlaw motorcycle clubs, one percenters, as members of organized crime,” said Conohan.
Eight arrests came as a result of a four-month investigation in the community that targeted drug trafficking and organized crime.
Six of the people charged were Outlaw Motorcycle Gang members while two others were from The Fallen Few, an Outlaw support group.
Each was charged with trafficking cocaine. Most of the arrests were conducted at the Outlaw clubhouse in Grand Falls-Windsor, while some took place elsewhere in town.
Project Barbarian came about through a joint initiative between the province’s RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime unit and the Grand Falls-Windsor RCMP detachment.
“Much of the drugs on our streets are due to organized crime, which includes one per cent outlaw motorcycle gangs,” said Thoms. “These gangs often try to fool the public into believing that they are just motorcycle enthusiasts who give back to the community. That is simply not true.”
The men arrested range in age from 22 to 62, and mostly live in Grand Falls-Windsor.
Along with drugs, a number of telecommunication devices, drug paraphernalia, gang clothing and other items were confiscated.
Police did not disclose the amount of cocaine involved in the bust.
“These arrests are significant in our efforts to combat drug trafficking and keep our communities safe,” said Grand Falls-Windsor RCMP Staff Sgt. Kelly Bryan.
Grand Falls-Windsor Councillor Rod Bennett first got word of the arrests Monday morning when a text alert flashed across his cellular phone.
His first exposure to the extent of those arrests and what was involved came at the press conference Wednesday.
“If drugs are going to be taken out of Grand Falls-Windsor and not supported in Grand Falls-Windsor, it is always a good thing,” said Bennett. “Safety for residents is paramount.”