Four Bahamians arrested in connection with busting a Canadian gang

This undated photo shows a Hamilton Police officer (Twitter/@HamiltonPolice)

Author: EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune staff reporter

FOUR people from the Bahamas are among two dozen people arrested by Canadian police as part of an investigation into a street gang allegedly closely linked to a Bahamian gang.

According to Canadian news organizations, those arrested include Eric Hilton Stuart, 35, Robert Mader, 41, Devon Deon Laing, 29, and Rashad Cooper, 36.

Three men were already wanted for crimes in the Bahamas: Laing is wanted for attempted murder, Cooper for breach of bail and Stuart for possession of dangerous drugs.

The investigation led to 172 charges. Additionally, 14 firearms, 880 grams of cocaine and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl were confiscated.

According to Canadian news site CBC, the investigation focused on a Hamiliton-based street gang called the “Hot Mali Squad.”

Hamilton police said the gang was linked to “drug dealing, robberies, daytime shootings and homicides.”

Hamilton police have seen a record increase in shootings, with 58 this year.

The gang allegedly has ties to the “Dirty South,” part of the Bahamas-based street gang One Order.

“Striking this violent street gang was critical to addressing the increase in shootings in Hamilton because this group operated at the epicenter of gun violence, stoking fear, instability and harm in the community,” Chief Frank Bergen said, according to CBC.

On November 13, 2024, with the assistance of Halton Regional Police, Niagara Regional Police, London Police, Peel Regional Police, OPP and Waterloo Regional Police, they conducted 17 search warrants as part of the project. The warrants were exercised in Hamilton, Niagara Falls, St Catharines and London.

The charges include trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, possession of a loaded prohibited firearm, domestic assault, conspiracy to commit an indictable offense, robbery, proceeds of crime in excess of $5,000 and utter menacing.