Kelowna Hells Angels Raid -- The Aftermath

First it was the big Hells Angels bust and Kelowna RCMP had more good news to share with the community Wednesday.

Kelowna's top cop, Superintendent Bill McKinnon, held a news conference Wednesday afternoon in the wake of the Hells Angels raids last Friday when four members of the biker gang were busted in Kelowna.

He says reaction from the community has been favorable.

"In the past few days, we have received calls from citizens expressing their thanks for finally doing something about the Hells Angels."

McKinnon says half of the 20 kilos of cocaine seized during last week's provincial raids came from Kelowna.

"It's important that the public have its eyes opened to the true nature of this club," says McKinnon who released a list of business and residential properties in Kelowna owned by members of the Hells Angels.

The biker gang owns more than 20 homes in the city and more than a dozen businesses including Champagne Charlies on Lawrence Ave., Digstown Clothing on Pandosy St., Pier Marine Pub in Westbank and Splash's Nite Club on Leon Ave.

McKinnon says it's not his place to advise the public not to frequent these businesses owned by the Hells Angels. But he does add that patrons who frequent those businesses are indirectly supporting the Hells Angels.

"I'll let the people decide on their own," says McKinnon.

Meanwhile, McKinnon had more good news to deliver to the community.

He says Kelowna RCMP have just wrapped up a drug operation in the downtown core and have gotten most of the dealers off the street.

"I'm told you can't find any criminal transients in City Park, only tourists and families."

McKinnon says more than 40 drug dealers have been arrested. They were mostly dealing in cocaine and he says most of it was coming from the Hells Angels.

"We feel the Hells Angels were the major suppliers of the street level drugs that were being used by the criminally transient in Kelowna."

McKinnon says a majority of the homeless in the city's downtown core are really drug addicts.

"Investigators tell me that the majority of the street people we now have in Kelowna are criminals who have serious addiction problems and live off the avails of drug trafficking in order to supply their own habits."

But it wasn't all good news.

McKinnon says they're investigating another criminal organization that has its sights set on Kelowna.

"We have intelligence that suggests there is, but I'm not prepared to say who they are."

McKinnon says the gang that is eyeing Kelowna doesn't ride motorcycles.