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Canada's most wanted fugitive, Dave "Pik" Turmel, has been arrested in Italy, according to Italian police sources.
The 28-year-old, who had been on the run for over a year, is believed to be the leader of the Blood Family Mafia (BFM).
The notorious street gang is involved in brutal turf wars with the Hells Angels in Quebec during which victims have been tortured and have had their limbs amputated.
In a news release issued Friday in response to CBC News inquiries, Rome District Police announced they arrested the head of "a notorious criminal organization." Turmel was not named in the release, but in a call with CBC News, police confirmed the individual arrested was indeed Turmel.
The Blood Family Mafia (BMF) gang was founded in 2006 and is mostly active in the St. Lawrence river valley and in Quebec City. A gang with the same name was founded in the northern end of Montreal by a Haitian immigrant Valdano Toussaint who was deported back to Haiti in 2008.
The style of the BFM is closely modelled after the Bloods gang of Los Angeles. The same gang name was once used by the Haitian-Canadian gang, but is now used by the gang of largely French Canadians.
Who is Dave Turmel?
Dave 'Pik' Turmel was the number 1 suspect of the Bolo Program for Canada. Italian police said Turmel specialized in the sale of narcotics of various kinds, including cocaine and methamphetamine and was taken "by surprise in his hideout" by the officers of Rome's Casilino district.
"It was almost midnight when officers broke into the holiday home where the man had taken refuge," read the news release. "He immediately tried to barricade himself in, only to give in shortly afterward."
He reportedly handed over a fake passport as identification and police found and confiscated drugs, several SIM-cards and an agenda. They said he is now in jail at Regina Coeli awaiting extradition.
His presence was initially signalled by an alert sent to police by the Interpol International Police Cooperation Service, according to Italian police. According to Radio-Canada sources, Quebec police officers received a tip about Turmel in recent days, which helped accelerate the investigation to locate him on the run in Italy. Sources say the informant was motivated by the reward of up to $250,000 being offered for any information leading to Turmel's arrest.
The police agency Interpol had also issued a red notice for him, a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.
Wanted Since 2023
He had been wanted since July 24, 2023 by Quebec City police for several charges, including drug trafficking, conspiracy and armed assault.
Last year, Roobens Denis, 31, considered by police to be Turmel's right-hand man, was arrested in Portugal.
The second most wanted fugitive in Canada is All Boivin, who is believed to be Turmel's sidekick. Police say Boivin is also involved in the violent drug-related turf wars that have erupted in Quebec.
“Dave is believed to be the head of a criminal organization (BFM) controlling a distribution branch (that traffics in) cocaine by the kilogram and methamphetamine in the cities of Quebec and Lévis.” The website also says that the investigation into “Turmel’s criminal organization (BFM) was initiated in May 2022.”
In September of last year, a burned car with the body of a Red Devils support club member was found left near a Hells Angels clubhouse.
Hells Angels Gang War
Involved in a bloody war with the Hells Angels for the past year-and-a-half, BFM is said to have refused to buy drugs from the Hells Angels or pay them for operating on their territories. They sourced them from Montreal-area gangs instead.
The BFM traditionally paid a 10% tax to the Hells Angels, but in 2023 the group came into conflict with the Hells Angels after it ceased paying the tax.
The BFM has modelled its tactics after the Maras of Central America, and routinely engages in torture, which has led the gang to be considered one of the most violent in Quebec. BFM was linked to the kidnapping and torture of Hells Angels members, with images and videos shared online.
Tortures & Murders in Quebec
In February 2024, members of the BFM were arrested by the Sûreté du Québec police in connection with the kidnapping, torture and murder of a man in Saint-Malachie. The man was subjected to what the Quebec media called "a night of horror" with his body being burned and his ears cut off.
He was not associated with the Hells Angels. The victim was reported to be a drug dealer who decided to stop working for the BFM and was invited to attend a farewell party. The victim was beaten several times and subjected to waterboarding three times before his feet were burned.
SPVQ Director Denis Turcotte said “Dave Turmel and BFM are willing to do anything to take control of drug trafficking, not only in Quebec City, but throughout eastern Quebec.”
Sources CBC, CTV, Le Soleil
Categories: Canada, hells angels