BOUCHER PART OF DRUG RING, U.S. ALLEGES

Quebec Hells Angels Boss Organized Deal To Import Cocaine, Court Documents Say

MONTREAL -- Quebec Hells Angels leader Maurice (Mom) Boucher, who is
awaiting the jury's verdict in his murder trial, actively organized the
importation into Quebec of more than four tonnes of cocaine bought from
Colombian drug lords, U.S. Department of Justice documents say.

The allegations emerged after a Quebec judge ruled yesterday that there is
enough evidence to extradite Guy LePage, a close associate of Mr. Boucher,
for trial in Miami.

The extradition request suggests that Mr. Boucher could be targeted by U.S.
law-enforcement officials, and, if he is cleared of all the criminal
charges he faces in Canada, could eventually have to face the U.S. justice
system.

A Quebec trafficker identified as CI1 -- "confidential informant 1" -- will
testify in U.S. court that "members of the Hells Angels involved with
obtaining cocaine from the Colombian organization include Maurice (Mom)
Boucher and Guy LePage," says a March 13 statement by U.S. Department of
Justice Trial Attorney Steven Siegel.

"CI1 met with Boucher and LePage on numerous occasions during 1997, 1998
and 1999. During those meetings, they discussed, among other things, the
acquisition of cocaine from the Colombian organization, and payment."

Mr. Siegel's statement says that the investigation of Mr. LePage stemmed
from the prosecution of the Mejia-Munera brothers. In 1998 U.S. Senate
testimony, Drug Enforcement Administration head Thomas Constantine called
twins Miguel and Victor Mejia-Munera "up and coming" traffickers.

Mr. Boucher heads the elite Hells Angels Nomads chapter. Mr. Siegel's
statement says that the smuggling began in February, 1997, when a Nomad,
Michel Rose, told CI1 that the Nomads "were interested in importing large
quantities of cocaine into Montreal."

In the spring of 1997, CI1 travelled to Barranquilla, Colombia, to contact
drug lords and was told that "the Colombian organization required a member
of the Hells Angels to be in Colombia."

As a result, the document says, Mr. LePage spent six weeks in Bogota and
Barranquilla to oversee how the cocaine would be sent by commercial ships.
Once the cocaine entered the United States, the Hells Angels would call the
pager of one of the Colombians and would be told where in Miami or New York
they could pick it up.

In October, 1998, a 2.4-tonne shipment of cocaine was sent to Quebec but
480 kilograms were intercepted near Gaspeafter. Once the cocaine had been
received, the Angels would pay by sending a driver with money to Florida.