MONTREAL -- Four policemen – two from the Montreal police force and two from Longueuil police -- were arrested Wednesday and will face various offences, including drug trafficking.
According to SPVM spokesman Ian Lafreniere, the arrests are the result of a year-and-a-half long joint investigation by both police forces.
“In total this is 17 people that are or will be accused in this operation, including four police officers,” he said.
The case dates back to January 2011, said Lafreniere, when a Montreal police officer was savagely beaten in Mexico. Lafreniere specified that two of the arrested officers were in Mexico at the time of the beating, but said the arrested men are not linked to the attack itself. Details of that case are subject to a publication ban.
“We are confirming that yes, the investigation started up in Mexico, but there are no accusations linked with that… A police officer was savagely beaten in Mexico. We started up the investigation to understand what happened. At the end of it, there are 17 people that have been accused because of the internal investigation we’ve done,” he said.
The SPVM arrested Amir El Alfy, who will be charged with importing narcotics, theft, possession of stolen property and possession of a prohibited weapon, and Charles Lavallee, who faces allegations connected to trafficking steroids and possession of hashish.
In Longueuil, police arrested Maxime Marcotte and Olivier Roy. Longueuil police spokesman Martin Simard said the two men involved have been suspended for a few months.
Lafreniere also said the Montreal officers have been suspended without pay for several months.
The agents should appear in court by way of summons on July 29.
The 17 people are or will be charged for their involvement in growing marijuana, trafficking, and possession of various drugs.
Police say the other people arrested are linked to the police officers, but wouldn't specify how. He also alluded to the fact that they may have been linked to organized crime.
“When you grow marijuana, you can’t do that by yourself. You have to be linked to a criminal organization,” he said.
With a report from La Presse Canadienne
