Vancouver Police today announced additional arrests and charges against four men through Project Territory – a key element of Taskforce Tourniquet, which has proven to be one of Metro Vancouver’s most successful multi-agency gang crime investigations and has resulted in a total of 209 charges against 38 individuals.
Twenty-two-year-old Moeen Khan of Surrey, 30-year-old Pashminder Boparai of Abbotsford, 28-year-old Mustapha Ali of Ottawa, and 23-year-old Nobin Malonga-Massamba of Ottawa, have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Ali and Malonga-Massamba each face additional charges related to firearm offences and are in in custody. Khan and Boparai are currently wanted on Canada-wide warrants.
“The Vancouver Police Department continues to engage regional and national partners to combat gang crime,” says Superintendent Mike Porteous, VPD. “These arrests represent the success of ongoing partnerships and cooperation at a national level, including the Ottawa Police Service, to combat this serious public safety issue.”
Taskforce Tourniquet was formed in March 2017 by the Vancouver Police Department, in response to increasing gang violence in Metro Vancouver. It has since grown to include officers from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of BC (CFSEU-BC), the RCMP, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), and local municipal police departments.
“Gangs and the individuals involved in associated violence operate through multiple jurisdictions and are not bound by borders,” says Superintendent Paul Dadwal, CFSEU-BC. “The police response must also be strategic and intelligence-led throughout our policing partners as indicative in our collective efforts in this joint investigation between the CFSEU-BC, VPD, and all of the Lower Mainland partners.”
Vancouver Police today announced additional arrests & charges against four men through Project Territory.
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) February 26, 2019
Moeen Khan, 22, of Surrey, & Pashminder Boparai, 30, of Abbotsford, are currently wanted on Canada-wide warrants. Pls call 911 if you see them. https://t.co/jXTrmFURBj #VPD pic.twitter.com/Pe8TQkzlCk
The taskforce has consisted of several joint enforcement projects, which so far, have resulted in the seizure of more than 170 firearms, more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl, 40 kilograms of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, and more than $2 million worth of cash, jewelry, and high-end vehicles.
Police encourage people wanting to leave gang-life to use resources available through the CFSEU End Gang Life program. They can call the CFSEU Gang Exiting and Intervention helpline at 604-897-6023.
Anyone who sees Moeen Khan or Pashminder Boparai, or who may have any information about their whereabouts, is asked to call 9-1-1 immediately. Information can also be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-888-222-8477.