A former Montreal actor and a man tied to one of Quebec’s most notorious drug traffickers were among four people arrested Tuesday morning following an investigation by the RCMP.
The Mounties said in a release that the four men “were allegedly involved in trafficking drugs, mainly cocaine and hashish.” Approximately 94 kilograms of hashish and six kilos of cocaine were seized, along with eight firearms and more than $180,000 in cash.
Included among those arrested was Bruno Di Quinzio, 58, of Montreal, who has been convicted in at least two major drug-trafficking cases in the past in Montreal and British Columbia. Di Quinzio was also once an actor in a television series called Omertâ, a popular fictional account of the Montreal Mafia that aired on Radio-Canada during the late 1990s. The series’ title was borrowed from the Sicilian expression for the Mafia’s code of silence.
Also arrested on Monday was Jean Sigman, 71, of Trois-Rivières, who has past ties to Raymond Desfossés, a notorious drug trafficker tied to the West End Gang. Desfossés died this year.
The RCMP reported that Alain Bonneau, 71, and Daniel Le Tourneux, 66, both of Québec City, were also arrested.
“A fifth individual — Réjean Gagnon, 63, from Ste-Thérèse-de-Blainville — is wanted, and a warrant is still out for his arrest,” the RCMP said.
“According to the investigation by police officers from the Quebec City Detachment’s Border Integrity Program and Federal Detachments, the alleged traffickers carried out illicit activities in the Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Montreal regions. They are facing multiple charges, including cocaine trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking and conspiracy. They are scheduled to appear by videoconference at the Trois-Rivières, Québec City and Montreal courthouses today.”
A total of 16 people are facing charges. Eleven other people are due to appear at a later date.