Police say 24 people arrested and 172 charges laid in Hamilton street gang investigation – CP24

Police in Hamilton, Ontario, say two dozen people have been arrested and 172 charges have been laid as part of an investigation into a street gang allegedly responsible for violent crimes across the province.

They say investigation dubbed The Churchill ProjectThe incidents began in 2019 when police noticed a “significant increase” in violent crime in Hamilton city centre, linked to a gang identifying itself as the Hot Financial Squad.

They allege the gang is linked to murders, drug trafficking, daytime shootings and robberies in Hamilton and neighboring areas including Toronto, Waterloo and Halton.

Police said their investigation revealed the gang was affiliated with a Bahamas-based gang group known as the Dirty South, which allegedly trafficked and distributed illegal firearms from the United States to the Toronto area.

They say the Hamilton Police Service, along with several other police forces, executed 17 search warrants in southern Ontario on Nov. 13.

It is stated that 24 people, including a 17-year-old girl, are facing 172 charges.

Police said a 39-year-old man was still wanted for arrest and three of the defendants were wanted for crimes in the Bahamas.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.

Canadian Press