Bikers charged by RCMP after getting off Marine Atlantic ferry
Police have laid 12 charges against bikers coming off the Marine Atlantic ferry in Port aux Basques.
Last Friday the RCMP said they were monitoring several 'outlaw' biker groups that were planning on coming to Newfoundland this week.
Staff Sgt. Boyd Merrill said in a new release Thursday that during a traffic safety check point, officers stopped some of the arriving bikers on the highway close to weigh scales near Channel-Port aux Basques.
As a result, they say 12 charges were laid, but Merrill wouldn't confirm what the charges were.
On July 24, the RCMP said members of outlaw motorcycle gang Bacchus and affiliated clubs from other parts of Canada were heading to central and eastern Newfoundland for a run this week.
According to police, Bacchus has a chapter in Grand Falls-Windsor, and there are three other outlaw groups that operate in the province as well.
The RCMP believe the groups are coming to Newfoundland to discuss criminal activity ranging from prostitution to money laundering and the drug trade.
They are often known as "one-per-center" clubs, as they represent a tiny fraction of overall motorcycle users.
RCMP officers have been stationed near the Marine Atlantic terminals as well as around the province's airports and highways in anticipation of the arriving bikers.
According to police, there are no concerns of public safety at this time.