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

Police in Hamilton, Ontario, say twenty 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 there’s an investigation called Project Churchillbegan in 2019 when police reported a “significant increase” in violent crime in downtown Hamilton linked to a gang calling itself the Hot Mali Squad.

They allege the gang is linked to homicides, drug dealing, daytime shootings and robberies in Hamilton and surrounding areas, including Toronto, Waterloo and Halton.

Police say an investigation revealed the gang was linked to a Bahamian gang faction known as the Dirty South, which allegedly smuggled and distributed illegal firearms from the United States into the Toronto area.

It says that on November 13, Hamilton police, along with several other police forces, executed 17 search warrants in southern Ontario.

It is said that 24 people, including a 17-year-old girl, were charged with 172 charges.

Police say a 39-year-old man is still wanted and three defendants are also wanted in connection with crimes in the Bahamas.

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

Canadian Press