Montreal police bust illegal cannabis ring

Montreal police say they've busted a cannabis ring in one of the first major operations targeting illegal cannabis trafficking since the drug was made legal on Oct. 17.

Six people were arrested and released on a promise to appear in court at a later date.

Officers from the organized crime section of the Montreal police service (SPVM) conducted 14 searches and raided four illegal cannabis plantations on Tuesday.

They searched locations inMontreal, Brossard, Lavaland Mascouche, as well as in the municipalities of Lake Superior, Saint-Barthlemy, Sainte-Ursule and Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm.

Police seized:

• 970 cannabis plants.
• $14,000 Cdn.
• Onehandgun.
• Threevehicles: a compact loader, a backhoe and a bulldozer.

The total value of the seized property was $1.56 million,said the SPVM in a news release.

Police said one of the producers held a licence to produce and sell cannabis for medicinal purposes but was sellingthe product on the black market.

They also targeted a cocaine production and distribution network.

The operation was carried out with the assistance of the Sret du Qubec, and police services in Laval, Longueuil and Mascouche, as well as with the collaboration ofHydro-Qubec.