Biggest drug bust of “the past several years”: Police

MONTREAL – The biggest crack bust "of the past several years" in the city’s east end, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district has rounded up "at least thirty" of 45 suspects sought, Commander Francois Cayer of Station 23 said at 4 p.m. Friday. The bust swept in to 23 locations, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Friday, he added.

A total of about 190 police officers were involved in the intricately planned crackdown, Cayer added, of whom 150 are Montreal police, along with about 20 RCMP officers and 20 officers from the Sûreté du Québec.

All the suspects are believed to be linked with criminal biker gangs, the commander said, in an operation dubbed "Project Eraser". The ring, he said sold crack and cocaine to prostitutes and petty criminals.

Beginning about a year ago police had started to field "hundreds of complaints" of suspicious activity, largely from condominium owners who had recently begun moving into the neighbourhood, buying condos in the $200,000 to $300,000 range.

Investigators probed more deeply in order to target the upper echelons of the ring, Cayer said, "during the last several months".

Police continue to work to round up the remaining suspects, with court appearances on various drug-related charges, expected to begin on Saturday afternoon.

Of the total of 23 search warrants, 19 were executed in the neighbourhood between Ste. Catherine East and Davidson East St.s in the square bounded by Bourbonnière Avenue and Adam street. Two of the remaining four locations busted were “just outside” the square, and the remaining two were off Montreal Island, in Lavaltrie, a city northeast of Montreal.

Cayer said he “was not aware of any firearm seizures” but added that he “found a lot of drugs.” Cayer refused to indicate which bike gang or gangs were believed involved, although he noted that “associates” of bikers were involved in the activities.

janr@thegazette.canwest.com