Kelowna Hells Angel busted

A local rap star who now calls Kelowna home got a rude awakening Wednesday.

The RCMP's Emergency Response Team (ERT) came knocking at the man's Diamond Road home in East Kelowna looking for one of his friends who allegedly has ties to organized crime.

Shane Bunting, also known as Madchild from the award winning rap group Swollen Members, says he woke up to police surrounding his home.

"They had a swat team outside all done up with helmets and guns. It was pretty crazy. They (police) said they were looking for somebody and I told them that he's not here."

Bunting says police wanted to search his home.

"They asked to come in and I said not without a warrant and that was it."

Some of Bunting's friends are members of the Hells Angels.

"I think that everybody knows that there's been people in our videos. I have friends that are part of clubs. But this is supposed to be a free country and we can hang out with whoever we want."

Neighbours say Bunting's house used to be owned by members of the Independent Soldiers and the Hells Angels were also known to hang around the place.

Bunting wouldn't say who police were looking for, but it might have been Lester Robert Jones.

Jones, a member of the Hells Angels in Kelowna, was arrested Wednesday as part of a nation wide crackdown on the HA. He's accused of trafficking in cocaine.

Police also raided a home on Big Rock Court in Glenmore and seized a pitbull from the property. They're not saying who they were looking for. Neighbours say the home may have links to the Independent Soldiers.

A total of 18 people have been rounded up from Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta and the U.S. as part of a lengthy investigation called Project Drill. The charges include drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit murder and importation of firearms.

During the investigation, police say they seized more than 10 kilos of cocaine, 2000 tablets of meth and 13 pounds of marijuana. They also seized several firearms.