How Hells Angels and criminal gangs came to control much of the Vancouver docks

VANCOUVER — More than two dozen of the longshoremen unloading container ships on the docks of Metro Vancouver are Hells Angels, their associates, other gangsters or people with serious criminal records, a Vancouver Sun investigation has found.

The infiltration of gangsters and criminals into the port workforce is perpetuated by a longtime employment practice that allows existing union members to nominate friends, relatives and associates when new jobs become available.

Police say organized crime maintains this foothold on the waterfront for strategic purposes — so drugs and other contraband can be smuggled in some of the more than 1.5 million containers that pass through the four container terminals at Port Metro Vancouver every year.

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Video: Special Investigation – Organized crime at Port Metro Vancouver – Part 2

A Vancouver Sun investigation has uncovered government and police reports dating back 20 years that documents the infiltration of organized crime at Port Metro Vancouver. This video introduces a few characters using the ports for drug trafficking. Former Vancouver bodybuilder Reza Amin Torabi is one with an interesting past as winner of Mr. Canada in 2000. Watch to see as we uncover his connection to the ports.