Montreal Police Launch Coordinated Searches in Historic Organized Crime Murder Investigation

Montreal / Greater Montreal Area — February 1, 2026 — Police agencies across Quebec launched a series of coordinated searches Sunday as part of a long-running organized crime investigation aimed at solving multiple unsolved murders tied to criminal networks operating in the Montreal region. According to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), investigators, working alongside the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), executed perquisitions in several municipalities, including Montreal, Laval, Mirabel, Rosemère, and Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot.

Authorities say the operation is connected to historic homicide investigations spanning decades, involving individuals linked to traditional organized crime groups, including Italian mafia figures, outlaw biker associates, and criminal street gangs. Police confirmed that the searches are intended to collect new physical and digital evidence, re-examine links between suspects across multiple cases, and strengthen existing files ahead of potential future arrests or prosecutions. While no new arrests were announced in this phase, investigators described the operation as a critical step forward in dismantling long-standing criminal structures that have operated with relative impunity in the Greater Montreal Area.

The SPVM stated that the investigation focuses on violent crimes committed between the 1990s and 2010s, a period marked by intense power struggles between organized crime factions in Quebec. Police emphasized that organized crime investigations often advance in stages, combining intelligence gathered over many years with new forensic techniques and witness cooperation. Authorities also issued a public appeal for information, encouraging anyone with knowledge related to past organized-crime murders to come forward, noting that even minor details could prove decisive.

Sunday’s searches come amid renewed law-enforcement pressure on organized crime in Quebec, including recent arrest waves targeting Hells Angels-linked drug networks and joint SPVM-SQ operations focused on historic contract killings. Investigators did not rule out additional searches or arrests in the coming days as the investigation continues. The coordinated nature of the operation underscores the persistent nature of organized crime structures that have operated across multiple decades and continue to present challenges for law enforcement.

The ongoing investigation highlights the complex challenges faced by law enforcement in addressing organized crime that has operated across generations. By focusing on unsolved murders from previous decades, authorities hope to break the cycle of impunity that has allowed criminal networks to persist in the Greater Montreal Area. Members of the public with any information related to past organized crime activity are encouraged to come forward through confidential tip lines.