54 arrested, 268 charges
Jul 03, 2009 - 03:43 PM
DURHAM -- Dozens of people have been arrested and drugs with an estimated street value in excess of $3 million have been seized in a massive strike by Durham police against street-level trafficking.
Officers with Durham's Drug Enforcement Unit also seized weapons including firearms and a stun gun, more than $16,000 in cash and vehicles deemed to the proceeds of crime in the months-long investigation, dubbed Project Wolverine.
Undercover cops spent three months conducting street-level drug transactions as they gathered evidence for the bust. Most of the work took place in Oshawa, Whitby and Pickering, police said.
More than 260 charges have been laid against 54 suspects ranging from a 17-year-old girl to two Toronto men, aged 53.
Among those charged were a Toronto hospital employee allegedly peddling oxycontin tablets stolen from work and a Scarborough marijuana grow-op owner who advertised his product on the online classified service Craig's List, police said.
The majority of the illicit drugs seized consisted of marijuana; police took more than 303 kilograms of pot, valued at more than $3 million, off the street. Other drugs included 400 grams of crack and powder cocaine valued at $40,000; 280 oxycontin tablets worth more than $5,000; 374 ecstasy pills valued at more than $7,000, and quantities of LSD and psilocybin.
Weapons seized during the investigation include a .32 calibre handgun, a sawed-off .303 rifle, and a stun gun.
Police also seized four vehicles as offence-related property.
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