Suspected gang members sue tax agency

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 19 (UPI) -- Suspected gang members in Vancouver, British Columbia, say in lawsuits that collaboration between police and the Canadian Revenue Agency violates their rights.

The Vancouver Sun says it has obtained legal documents from suits by 15 suspected members and associates of the United Nations Gang. The plaintiffs say the tax agency has violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by giving police confidential information on their incomes and assets.

They say police have made visits to their homes late at night or in ways that embarrass them in front of neighbors and family members.

Many of the affidavits in the case were filed May 8, the day that Dunne Mayer, a reputed leader of the gang, was shot dead in Abbotsford.

Ron Wilhelm, a lawyer for the Justice Department, said the tax agency was simply doing its job when it sought information from reputed gang members -- following up on information that they might not be paying all the tax they owe.