27 convicted, more than 100 firearms seized in gang task force investigations, VPD says
Vancouver -
The Vancouver Police Department has announced the final results of a multi-jurisdictional gang task force it has been leading since 2017.
The project, dubbed Task Force Tourniquet, led to 27 convictions of known gang members on charges including participation in a criminal organization, murder conspiracy, firearms trafficking and drug trafficking, the VPD said in a news release Friday.
The task force began in response to rising gang violence in 2017, and involved officers from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C., the RCMP, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team and municipal police departments around the Lower Mainland, police said.
In addition to the 27 convictions, investigators seized more than 170 firearms, more than 50 kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl, and more than $2 million worth of cash, jewelry and high-end vehicles, police said.
"The men convicted as a result of Task Force Tourniquet were significant players in the gang conflict between March 2017 and August 2018," said VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin, in the news release.
"Their incarcerations and convictions led to a period of decreased shootings and murders between 2018 and 2020," Visintin said.
Of course, the Lower Mainland gang conflict has continued to rage despite police efforts, with a surge in violence and numerous daytime murders occurring around the region earlier this year.
Task Force Tourniquet included several joint enforcement projects, police said. They provided a list of convicted individuals organized by the project associated with their arrest.
The people convicted as part of Task Force Tourniquet are:
Project Territory
- Sam Kang
- Gary Kang
- Ranbir Kang
- Jitesh Vagh
- Manveer Braich
- Kristoffer Ghuman
- Kyle Latimer
- Craig Latimer
- Csongor Szucs
- Jacob Pereira
- Anduele Pikientio
- Pashmir Boparai
- Noebin Malonga-Massamba
- Mustapha Ali
Project Triplet
- Denis Ogilvie
Project Temper
- Walta Abay
- Taqdir Gill
- Hitkaran Johal
- Pawandeep Chopra
- Simrat Lally
- Two people who were minors at the time of their arrest
Project Tariff
- Harjot Samra
- Gurpreet Shillon
- Mouayad Alhoomsi
- Ayman Abo-Zaed
- One person who was a minor at the time of their arrest
Correction
The Vancouver Police Department initially released the names of three individuals who were arrested as young offenders and should not have been named. The story has been updated to remove those names.
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