Federal prosecutors have charged two Canadian men who allegedly ran a drug smuggling ring for the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club that involved stuffing hollowed out logs, cargo containers and propane tankers with cocaine and marijuana.
Robert J. Shannon, 38, of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, and Devron D. Quast, 38, of Abbotsford, British Columbia, were arrested in early June after meeting with an undercover federal agent. The pair traveled to the U.S. to discuss a deal with the agent, who posed as a drug trafficker.Law enforcement agents spent three years investigating the operation and have seized more than 1,300 pounds of cocaine, 7,000 pounds of “B.C. Bud” marijuana, and $3.5 million in cash. Thirty-eight people have been charged with drug trafficking and related offenses in the case.
According to court documents, Shannon allegedly oversaw the smuggling and distribution of narcotics for the Hell’s Angels, including transporting drugs inside false walls of cargo containers, in loads of commercial lumber, and in large PVC pipes hidden inside a propane tanker.
Quast was allegedly responsible for the transportation of the drugs, even guaranteeing to Canadian marijuana suppliers that drugs would be smuggled successfully into the U.S. He agreed to pay the suppliers $425 per pound of marijuana if any load was seized by law enforcement or lost, according to court documents.If convicted, Shannon and Quast face up to life in prison, based on the amount of illegal drugs involved in the case.
In addition, federal agents arrested Richard Jansen of Chilliwack, British Columbia, for his alleged role in transporting the drugs. Jansen is the owner of Scorpion Transport Services.

RCMP confirm an ex-member of the Hells Angels has been arrested. Billy Bowden has been picked up in Whistler, British Columbia.
Winnipeg police Constable Jacqueline Chaput says the arrest was made on the strength of a warrant for failing to appear in court.
Bowden was due to appear in court to face charges of firearms and drug possession stemming from when he was stopped on January 20th, 2007 in the back lane behind the 500 block of Corydon Avenue.Members of the Winnipeg Police Services organized crime unit were investigating a member of the Hells Angels being in possession of a handgun.The one-time member of Manitoba's Hells Angels chapter was arrested last week in Whistler, B.C., a source said. Bowden was wanted on an arrest warrant that was issued Jan. 10 after he failed to appear in a Winnipeg court on drug and gun charges. One of the last times he was seen in public in Winnipeg was Nov. 18 at The Empire Cabaret. Jeff Engen, 24, was fatally stabbed in the bar's basement lounge that night. No one has been arrested. It's believed Bowden left the city in November or December. The rumour mill has been working overtime since then. There were rumours Bowden was killed in Vancouver and, days later, whispers he was fatally shot in Saskatchewan. Police heard the rumours, too, but quickly dismissed them, a source said. Bowden was kicked out of the Hells Angels last October, a source said. He has had a number of high-profile run-ins with the law in recent years. In March 2005, he was shot in the leg at Dirty Laundry, a Corydon Avenue bar now known as NV.

British ColumbiaA lawyer for David Francis Giles denied Thursday there was any direct evidence that the senior Hells Angel member was involved in running a drug-trafficking ring out of the East End chapter's Kelowna clubhouse.Revell and Rempel are also charged with trafficking cocaine. The three men were arrested after police seized eight kilograms of cocaine from a storage locker and a vehicle in the Kelowna area in 2005. Crown has argued Giles kept himself well insulated from the handling of the drugs but was in charge of a "cell" that had him giving orders to Revell, who in turn dealt with Rempel, the man at the bottom of the ladder.But lawyer Richard Fowler told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Anne Mckenzie yesterday that there was no evidence of a "particular act" that proves Giles was in any way linked to the drugs.He said there was no proof that Giles had knowledge of or was in control of the drugs, no proof of any financial transactions and no evidence linking Giles to sums of cash.
"This is not a relationship in which Mr. Giles is directing anybody to do anything," he said in final submissions. "The kind of thing you see in drug cases is completely absent in this case for Mr. Giles."Fowler singled out an intercepted communication from a bug placed in Giles' home in May 2005 in which the Crown claims Giles confidently predicts: "We'll get back up," after discussing the loss of the kilos of cocaine with Revell.He argued that the call, pivotal to the Crown's argument that Giles knew about the trafficking activity, was inaudible and hard to tell who is speaking. The call was replayed three times, once at the request of the judge.
"The Crown takes evidence and molds it to fit their theory but it is ill-fitting at best," claimed Fowler.