Montreal police said they have arrested nine people in connection to a heroin trafficking ring, after a series of raids that took place last May.
The accused appeared in Quebec court and now face several charges including possession of prohibited weapons and drug trafficking.
Montreal’s violent crimes unit and anti-gang squad assisted in dismantling the heroin trafficking ring that allegedly operated all over the city of Montreal.
Several arrests were made over the last two weeks in connection with the file that dates back to 2016.
Police said the operation is believed to have been a structured network associated with organized crime, feeding the drugs to six different boroughs in the city.
The nine arrests came after searches at the end of May in Montreal, Laval and Saint-Calixte – including the two people police believe to be the ringleaders of the drug ring.
The suspects arrested include:
- Erkan Bilgen, 43
- Birol Ulukan, 46
- Mélissa Bergeron, 31
- Mehmet Teberci, 32
- Huseyin Baybars, 34
- Alexandre Moreau, 39
- Sarven Atam, 42
- Mark Joseph Turmel, 52
- Yann David Benharroch, 28
Police seized 1,6 kilograms of heroine, 250 grams of cannabis, 60 grams of haschish, seven guns, $105,000 in cash, as well as items that could be used in the preparation of drugs.