Jason Arkinstall, a member of the Mission City Hells Angels chapter, has been denied parole after being convicted of smuggling cocaine and methamphetamine into Canada. The decision was influenced by his ongoing connections with the outlaw motorcycle gang while incarcerated.

During a recent parole board hearing, Arkinstall, 51, claimed it was not his fault that he was surrounded by other gang members in prison. He stated, "It wasn’t my decision to place six members of the same OMG (outlaw motorcycle gang) in the prison," according to the board's ruling.

Arkinstall was previously denied day parole in July 2024. He told the board he had made efforts to distance himself from other gang members but acknowledged the challenges of doing so in a prison environment. He remarked, "It’s difficult because you are in prison."

Parole board members Ian Mackenzie and David Hunt pointed out that Arkinstall remains affiliated with the Hells Angels, which they referred to generically as an OMG. They highlighted an incident where he attempted to organize a party in the gym with other gang members, emphasizing that this raised concerns about his associations with a security threat group.

The board noted, "When you were asked questions about your associates, the board found that you minimized and have limited insight into the risk-related aspects of such associations."

Arkinstall was sentenced to six years and three months in prison in October 2022 after attempting to import 90 kilograms of meth and 118 kilograms of cocaine from Idaho into British Columbia on October 23, 2020. U.S. border agents apprehended him and a companion near the border, where they discovered five duffel bags filled with drugs. The two fled but were later arrested on the Canadian side.

In September 2021, Arkinstall pleaded guilty to importing the illicit substances. His lawyer, whose name was not disclosed in the ruling, submitted a letter stating that Arkinstall had gained insight into handling various situations. The lawyer argued that concerns about his negative associations were vague and that his release would not pose an undue risk to society.

The board decision reflected on Arkinstall's past, including a 2013 arrest in Spain for attempting to smuggle half a ton of cocaine into the country. He and another Hells Angel, Chad Wilson, were arrested after their boat, which had departed from Colombia, was intercepted. Both men later pleaded guilty to lesser charges and returned to Canada. Wilson was shot to death in 2018.

During the hearing, Arkinstall denied that his criminal activities were connected to the Hells Angels, stating that he had been involved with the gang for 17 years and enjoyed participating in club activities. He acknowledged that while he and other members had committed crimes, these actions were individual and not on behalf of the gang.

Despite acknowledging some progress in his rehabilitation, the parole board concluded that releasing Arkinstall would pose an "undue risk" to society. They cited the serious nature of his offenses, his extensive criminal history, and his lack of insight into the risks associated with his gang affiliations.