Accused biker gang members aren’t in custody

Two of three men accused of running drugs for a Hells Angels support gang appeared in Kamloops court Thursday, but none are being held in custody.

Shawn William Carlisle, 49, and Jacob Andrew Cavanagh, 29, were scheduled for their first appearance at Kamloops Provincial Court Thursday, July 28, after RCMP issued a warrant for their arrest.

Kamloops court registry staff said they were released by police.

Carlisle and Cavanagh, along with Zale Coty, 53, are each facing several criminal charges for trafficking illicit cannabis and fentanyl.

Kamloops RCMP collaborated with B.C.'s gang squad on a years-long investigation, seizing drugs, cash and weapons from a Valleyview garden store owned by Coty.

According to police, the garden store was a front for the Throttle Lockers biker gang's drug trafficking operation. Police called the Throttle Lockers a "support group" for the Hells Angels, funnelling money to the larger organization, which has a known presence in the Okanagan.

While Cavanagh and Carlisle were scheduled for their first appearances on July 28, Coty was not named on the day's court schedule.

All three are scheduled to appear twice in August, but there is no bail hearing set as of July 28.

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