Red Scorpions gang suspect arrested with $100,000 cash and drugs Special

A member of the drug gang known as the Red Scorpions has been arrested following a police raid. Police said the Red Scorpions gang has been involved in violent warfare in suburban Vancouver with the rival U.N. Gang as well as Independent Soldiers.

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - Police have seized bullet proof vests, cocaine and cash worth $100,000 following a raid on a known member of the violent suburban drug gang known as the Red Scorpions. Included in the haul is a rare black jacket with the emblem of the Red Scorpions gang that has been involved in violent rivalry leading to several killing in the Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley area. Abbotsford Police spokesman Const. Ian MacDonald characterized the Red Scorpions as a suburban gang with members hailing from middle class families who are led by the infamous Bacon brothers who are tangled in various court cases and have made headlines in B.C. The raid by a task force comprised of Abbotsford Police Drug Enforcement Section, the Integrated Gang Task Force and Langley RCMP on a home in Aldergrove, east of Vancouver, resulted in the seizure two kilos of cocaine worth $80,000, one kilo of methamphetamine valued at $25,000, approximately $12,000 in cash, a 9 mm handgun, a loaded magazine, boxes of ammunition, two bullet proof vests and a prized Red Scorpions jacket. This type of jacket has been seized by police on just a handful of occasions. "Red Scorpions are a suburban gang that arose from the Fraser Valley," said MacDonald. "The membership is comprised predominantly of middle-class young men and the leadership comes from the Bacon brothers." "At various times, all three Bacon brothers have faced charges revolving around drugs and weapons," said MacDonald in an interview. "They (Red Scorpions) are organized, they are involved in the drug trade, in our interactions we have seen them armed with automatics and semi-automatics,we've seen armoured vehicles, body armour and so they are at the organized crime level - how many people have armoured cars and body armour." "They are rivals to a number of groups, certainly some of the battles we've had, people have identified that at least in the valley, there has been a war between the United Nations Gang and the Red Scorpions," he said of numerous drug related slayings police have dealt with in the past few months that prompted police to launch a highly visible campaign to dissuade youngsters from joining gangs. "Their colours are red and black so in that regard they mimicked the Hell's Angels colours but there is no clear connection between them and the Hell's Angels," he said. "The gangs in the United States, such as Creeps and Bloods, tend to be territorial - the gangs we have here tend not to be territorial - they tend to be economically driven and from time-to-time will collaborate from time to time with rival gangs such as the Independent Soldiers ." The Red Scorpions are mostly comprised of white males but recently a man with Middle-Eastern descent was caught in Mission, B.C. who was a member. There is more racial diversity in the United Nations gang, and hence the name, he said. Most weapons and cocaine used in B.C. originate from the U.S. and gangs located here ship out marijuana south of the border. MacDonald said a 34-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman are facing numerous drug and weapons charges in connection with the raid carried out by joint police forces at a home in Aldergrove. He did not identify the suspects.