Seven people were arrested in an early Wednesday morning operation by Montreal police (SPVM) targeting the Italian Mafia.
The arrests, of six men aged between 34 and 59 and a 44-year-old woman, followed searches that were made in the Montreal boroughs of LaSalle and Verdun, as well as in Brossard on the South Shore.
Francis Renaud, the head of Montreal police’s organized crime unit, explains that the raids were part of what police called “an extensive criminal investigation” aimed at breaking links in organized crime in the city.
“It’s pretty special because the [Italian] organized crime in LaSalle, in general, are not afraid to mix with other organized crime that we know, the bikers, the Irish, to make their business go on – and they’re getting along,” he said. “That’s the special effect of LaSalle.”
The suspects were arrested on warrants pre-authorized by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP), Renaud adds.
“Those people that were arrested today were pretty popular in LaSalle, very well-known, but were passing under the radar for a few years,” he said.
Five of the people arrested are expected to face charges of committing offences to benefit a criminal organization, also known as gangsterism, as well as drug trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking substances.
Previous raids that took place in May and January 2024 led to the major seizure of drugs, firearms and cash.
“In total, there are 10 people arrested in Project Americano, which started in August 2023, with multiple phases,” said Renaud.
In total, the force notes it has confiscated 32 kg of cocaine, 4 kg of crystal meth, $2.2 million in cash and 12 guns.
Some 40 police officers were involved in Wednesday morning’s operation.
The accused are expected to appear at the Montreal courthouse in the afternoon.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call 911 or contact Info-Crime Montreal anonymously and confidentially at 514 393-1133 or via the reporting form.
Clarification
A visual of restaurant La Campagnola erroneously accompanied newscasts and the original online article about the organized crime arrests in Montreal on April 9th. The visual in question has been removed. Neither La Campagnola restaurant nor its owner has any association with the arrest.
