Ex-Mountie among organized crime suspects

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- A former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was among 33 reputed Zig Zag Crew members arrested in an organized crime investigation, authorities say.

RCMP Sgt. Line Karpish confirmed Wayne Shuttleworth, 39, of Winnipeg, had been a Mountie in the early 1990s and has been identified as a member of the Zig Zag Crew, a gang associated with the Hells Angels, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday.

Shuttleworth is charged with participating in a criminal organization, trafficking a firearm, possession of the proceeds of crime and conspiracy to launder money.

Along with the arrests, Wednesday's raids in Manitoba and British Columbia also turned up drugs, cash and gang paraphernalia, the CBC said. The raids concluded an investigation dubbed Project Divide that began in the fall of 2008.

The CBC it has learned a Zig Zag Crew member referred to as "the Agent," who is now in witness protection, was the key informant in bringing the investigation to fruition.