Police charged 80 people, seized close to 180 kilograms of marijuana and more than $350,000 in cash after raids on dispensaries and homes in Toronto and Vancouver last week.
Seven Canna Clinic marijuana dispensaries and six residences were targeted in coordinated raids across Toronto Thursday, in an investigation dubbed Project Lincoln in partnership with the RCMP and the city’s Municipal Licensing & Standards division.
READ MORE: Police raid Canna Clinic marijuana dispensaries across Toronto
“We had a case a little while ago where we shut down a dispensary, it opened the next day, we charged them that day, they opened the day after, we charged them.”
READ MORE: Toronto police raid same Cannabis Culture marijuana dispensary 3 times in 2 weeks
That same day, Vancouver police executed six search warrants at undisclosed locations in the Vancouver and Denman Island areas.
In total, police seized one vehicle, 178 kilograms of marijuana, 48 kilograms of edible marijuana products, 6.8 kilograms of marijuana “shatter,” 19 kilograms of cannabis resin and more than $350,000 in cash.
Toronto police said a total of 80 Canna Clinic employees were arrested, charged and released at the scene. Pugash said six of the suspects faced “substantive charges” and were named by police, but the remaining 74 were not identified.
VIDEO: Toronto police raid 2 more Cannabis Culture dispensaries
“It’s about enforcing the law,” he added. “And if people are going to persist in doing what we believe to be is against the law than we’ll continue to enforce the law until that law changes.”
Earlier this month Toronto Mayor John Tory expressed his concern over the number of dispensaries in the city that are still in business, and went on to say he will continue to support additional police and municipal bylaw enforcement.
READ MORE: Marc and Jodie Emery charged in Toronto amid marijuana dispensary raids across Canada
The list of suspects arrested in the raids and the charges they face are as follows:
Sterling McElroy, 28, of Toronto:
- Trafficking of marijuana
- Three counts of possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking
- Trafficking of cannabis resin
- Two counts of possession of cannabis resin for the purpose of trafficking
- Three counts of possession of the proceeds of crime
- Breach of recognizance
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Yacob Issayas, 28, of Toronto:
- Possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking
Diane MacInnis, 29, of Toronto:
- Possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking
- Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime
Tanya Althea Crail, 24, of Toronto:
- Possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking
- Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime
Caitlan Campbell, 23, of Vancouver:
- Possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking
- Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime
Theodora Crane, 24, of Vancouver:
- Possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking
- Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime
All of the six suspects were scheduled to appear in a Toronto court on June 23.
The location and times of the raids across Toronto on June 22 are as follows:
- Canna Clinic at 1556 Queen St. W. at 10:30 a.m.
- Residence in the Cowan Avenue and King Street West area at 10:30 a.m.
- Canna Clinic at 2887 Dundas St. W. at 10:30 a.m.
- Residence in the Fort York Boulevard and Spadina Avenue area at 10:30 a.m.
- Residence in the Cherry Street and Mill Street area at 10:31 a.m.
- Residence in the Queen Street West and Dowling Avenue area at 10:30 a.m.
- Residence in the Harbour Square and Queen’s Quay West area at 10:30 a.m.
- Canna Clinic at 44 Kensington Ave. at 10:30 a.m.
- Canna Clinic at 213 Ossington Ave. at 10:30 a.m.
- Canna Clinic at 2352 Yonge St. at 10:45 a.m.
- Canna Clinic at 350 Broadview Ave. at 12:45 p.m.
- Residence in the Harbour Square and Queens Quay area at 1:55 p.m.
- Canna Clinic at 527 Eglinton Avenue West at 3:05 p.m.
The location of the raids across Vancouver on June 22 are as follows:
- McFarland Road and Reginald Drive in the Denman Island area
- Prince Albert Street and East 30th Avenue in the Vancouver area
- Nelson Street and Burrand Street in the Vancouver area
- Granville Street and West 13th Avenue in the Vancouver area
- West 4th Avenue and Balsam Street in the Vancouver area
- Hornby Street and Nelson Street in the Vancouver area
With files from AM640’s Don Mitchell
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