By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FOUR people from The Bahamas are among two dozen people Canadian police have arrested as part of an investigation into a street gang with allegedly close ties to a Bahamas-based gang.

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

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

The investigation has led to 172 charges. Additionally, 14 firearms, 880 grams of cocaine, and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl have been seized.

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

The Hamilton Police Service alleged the gang had been connected to “drug trafficking, robberies, daytime shootings and homicides”.

Hamilton Police have identified a record increase in shootings, with 58 so far this year.

The gang allegedly has links to “Dirty South”, a fraction of the Bahamian-based street gang One Order.

“Targeting this violent street gang was crucial in addressing the surge in Hamilton shootings because this group acted at the epicentre of gun violence, fuelling fear, instability, and harm in the community,” said Chief Frank Bergen, according to CBC.

On Nov 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 fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, possession of a loaded prohibited firearm, domestic assault, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, robbery, proceeds of a crime over $5,000 and utter threats.