Montreal police strike gold in firearms-and-drug raid

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Police struck gold — literally — during a series of daring raids in Montreal and Laval Tuesday night as they busted up an alleged firearms-and-drug-trafficking ring.

Police arrested seven people and seized nine firearms, a kilogram of cocaine, and a kilo and a half of methamphetamine. They also confiscated $500,000 in cash and “a large quantity of gold.”

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“The exact value of the precious metals seized has yet to be determined, but is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” the Service de police de la ville de Montréal (SPVM) declared in a statement.

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Three of Tuesday night’s raids were carried out in apartments and residences in Montreal’s east end, from which the group is alleged to have operated. A house in the Pont-Viau area of Laval was also raided.

“The investigation that led to the bust was the fruit of an investigation launched earlier this year by the (Montreal) Eastern Region’s multi-sectoral firearms team (EMAF),” the SPVM added. “In the course of its work, the investigative unit was able to gather evidence on the network. Numerous SPVM units and the Sûreté du Québec also supported the EMAF in its investigative work.”

Seven individuals were charged Wednesday at the Montreal courthouse with various offenses, including firearms and drug trafficking. One of the seven was conditionally released until her next court date. Her alleged accomplices will remain in custody during this period.

The investigation is continuing in order to trace the origin of the weapons seized and to determine whether they may have been used in any crimes of armed violence.

Anyone with additional information about the alleged ring can contact 911 or their local police station. It is also possible to contact Info-Crime anonymously at 514-393-1133 or via the reporting form available at infocrimemontreal.ca.

The SPVM raids are part of Centaure, a provincial government strategy launched in 2018 to combat gun violence. Centaure is receiving $246.7 million in funding by the federal and provincial governments until 2026-2027. Of that amount, $104 million is focusing on prevention; $138.8 million on so-called repression (Tuesday’s raids were part of that strategy); and $3.9 million for the “development of knowledge and expertise.”

aderfel@postmedia.com

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