The Kelowna Hells Angels clubhouse on Ellis Street could become property of the BC Ministry of Justice.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet File Photo

Police seize items from the Kelowna Hells Angels clubhouse during a raid last summer

The ministry has filed an application in BC Supreme Court for the Hells Angels clubhouses in Kelowna and Vancouver's East End.

Unlike criminal proceedings, the motion will go to civil court.

In order to win, the civil forfeiture office must prove the property owners engaged in or allowed unlawful activity.

The East End clubhouse is located at 3598 East Georgia Street in Vancouver and the Kelowna clubhouse is at 837 Ellis Street, according to The Province.

The Province reports that no response has been filed to the lawsuit and the motorcycle club has 21 days to do so.

Rick Ciarniello, a spokesman for the Hells Angels, told The Province he was not surprised by the legal action.

“It seems that in the last few years law enforcement has taken a new direction. They now concentrate their efforts using civil law rather than criminal law. By doing so, it is much easier for them to prosecute and to persecute,” he said.

Police raided the Kelowna Hells Angels clubhouse as part of a series of simultaneous raids conducted throughout the province and involved an international coalition of enforcement officers.