Eight suspected cocaine traffickers who planned to obtain supplies in the Toronto region and then return to Montreal to sell their illicit goods were incapacitated Wednesday in the metropolitan area.
The suspects, four men and four women ranging in age from 24 to 54, were arrested in Montreal, Brownsburg-Chatam, Saint-Jerome and Saint-Hyacinthe.
About fifty police officers took part in the operation.
“Our criminal investigation revealed that the network used the Toronto-Montreal corridor to transport drugs into Quebec and then resell them at a higher price. Two members of the disbanded network would have played a central role in the supply, distribution and coordination of drug trafficking activities,” said the head of the SPVM's organized crime unit, Cmdr. Francis Renault.
As part of this investigation, several searches have also been carried out in recent months. As a result, 46.5 kg of cocaine, a firearm and more than $80,000 in cash were seized.
The suspects arrested Wednesday are: Karim Chabbi, 41; Catherine Trudel-Primo, 38; Jean-François Roberge, 54; Manon Primo, 54; Mathieu Bouchard, 34; Jennifer Devries, 43; Michelle Francesco Manicone, 24, and Julie Saint-Jacques-Lapointe, 42.
They were all scheduled to appear in a Montreal courthouse this afternoon on drug trafficking charges. Four of them were also to be charged with receiving stolen property.
Two suspects are still wanted in connection with the police strike. They are Carlo Polcaro, 35 years old, and Ilies Taibi, 35 years old. Anyone with information about these two people is asked to call 911 or Info-Crime at 514 393-1133.
