The demolition of a clubhouse in Nanaimo, which formerly belonged to a Vancouver Island chapter of the Hells Angels, is underway just weeks after a court ruling confirmed the B.C. government’s authority to seize the property. Mike Farnworth, the minister of public safety and solicitor general, announced that the clubhouse in Nanaimo is being demolished immediately. He emphasized that this is just the beginning and that the act sends a strong message to organized crime that criminals cannot profit from their activities.
The Supreme Court of Canada recently issued a ruling upholding a B.C. court’s decision that the Nanaimo clubhouse and other Hells Angels properties in Kelowna and east Vancouver are linked to criminal activity. This ruling put an end to a legal battle that lasted over a decade and confirmed the authority of B.C.’s Civil Forfeiture Office to seize the clubhouses as proceeds of crime. The Nanaimo property is valued at $300,000, the Kelowna property is assessed at close to $1.3 million, and the east Vancouver clubhouse is valued at $1.52 million.
Mr. Farnworth declared that the Civil Forfeiture Office is now in legal possession of all three properties and emphasized the government’s commitment to protecting British Columbians by seizing illegally obtained assets. He stated that they will continue to take action against organized crime by dismantling it “brick-by-brick” and those who profit from it. However, he did not provide an explanation as to why the Civil Forfeiture Office had decided to level the Nanaimo club.