Crown says it could call as many as 300 witnesses at Hells trial in Montreal

A murder trial for five alleged Hells Angels began Monday with the Crown saying it might call as many as 300 witnesses.

The trial is expected to last between 12 and 18 months.

Yvon Tanguay, Claude Berger, Francois Vachon, Sylvain Vachon and Michel Vallieres are facing charges of murder and conspiracy.

The Crown alleges the five took part in the biker war between 1994 and 2002 to help the Hells expand its turf and control the trafficking of drugs.

They were arrested as part of a 2009 police operation called SharQc that netted more than 150 people, including 111 suspected members of the Hells.

More than 100 of the accused pleaded out in the case, while a judge released another 31 in May 2011 due to unreasonable delays in the court proceedings.

Two anglophones who are charged will have a trial in English, beginning in January.

Several people wanted in the case are still on the lam and three accused have died since 2009.

— With files from Julie-Christine Gagnon, Cogeco nouvelles