Alleged UN gang members charged with conspiring to kill Bacon brothers
Two alleged United Nations gang members and an associate have been charged with conspiring to kill their alleged rivals, the notorious Bacon brothers of Abbotsford, police said on Tuesday.
RCMP in Surrey, B.C., allege Barzan Tilli-Choli, 26, of Vancouver is a key member of the gang, Karwan Saed, 32, of Burnaby, is a mid-level trafficker and member of the gang, and Aram Ali, 23 is an associate of the gang.
All three were charged Monday with conspiracy to commit murder, and were expected to appear in Surrey provincial court on Tuesday for a bail hearing, according to Cpl. Dale Carr of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
The alleged targets were Jonathan, Jarrod and Jamie Bacon and their associates, who police allege are key leaders of the rival Red Scorpions gang.
Already held on attempted murder charges
The alleged UN gang members and associate were already being held in custody while awaiting trial on attempted murder and accessory-after-the-fact charges relating to a separate shooting incident outside the T-Barz Lounge, a strip club in Surrey, on Feb. 16, according to Carr.
The alleged target in that incident was a known associate of the Bacon brothers, according to police.
"That is one step toward resolving a great deal of public safety issue, but it is only one step and we recognize that," said Carr on Tuesday morning.
"It's an ongoing investigation. We're continuing to get evidence required by Crown to approve additional charge approval, which would lead to additional arrests, and we're hoping those come in the next few weeks," he said.
This year, an estimated 20 people have died in about 40 targeted shooting incidents involving criminal gangs battling for control of the Lower Mainland's illegal drug trade.
Previously, police alleged the Bacon brothers travelled in heavily armoured cars and wore bulletproof vests because of the threats on their lives, and had warned the public to avoid appearing in public with the Bacon Brothers or their associates.
In one incident on Jan. 21, Jamie Bacon reportedly jumped from his moving vehicle after someone shot at it while he was driving down busy Abbotsford street. He escaped unharmed.