Police dismantle major meth operation near Quebec City
Quebec Provincial Police headquarters is seen Wednesday, April 17, 2019 in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
A trio of alleged drug manufacturers and traffickers was arrested last weekend after a seven-month investigation.
Various police forces working under the National Organized Crime Enforcement Squad (ENRCO) conducted six searches in three municipalities on the South Shore of Québec City and in the Beauce region, namely in Saint-Gervais, Saint-Lazare-de-Nantes and Sainte-Marie.
These searches, conducted on Saturday and Sunday in residences, businesses and vehicles, led to the arrest of three individuals aged 30, 36 and 40, as well as the seizure of significant quantities of drugs.
The seizures included 18,000 methamphetamine tablets, more than 250 grams of cocaine, more than 23 kilograms of crystal methamphetamines, more than 100 kilograms of cannabis and nearly 1,000 cannabis plants.
The police also seized equipment and products required to manufacture methamphetamine as well as half a dozen long guns.
The three suspects were interviewed by investigators and subsequently released and will likely face charges related to drug production, trafficking and possession.
SUSPECT POSTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA
According to media outlet La Presse, one of the three suspects arrested is a man named Mathieu Isabelle who took the unusual step of announcing it on social networks.
The 36-year-old man wrote on Facebook that he, friends and family members had been "visited by the Sûreté du Québec and ENRCO," that his properties had been searched, that he had been released and that he expected further visits in the coming weeks once the evidence had been analysed and processed.
Most surprisingly, he candidly acknowledged that he has made "life choices for which I will pay the price" and now expects to "serve several years in prison" and then said that he is "very sorry for any inconvenience that friends and acquaintances may suffer," all in a post that is public and not restricted to his friends.
His Facebook page also shows two videos of a large indoor cannabis crop, one of which is labelled "Viva Legalizacion," where he claims in the comments to be a licensed producer.
ENRCO began its investigation last June and the weekend operation involved many police officers from different investigative units, including a dog handler, an explosives technician and the tactical intervention group.
The Quebec City region's ENRCO is made up of officers from the Sûreté du Québec, the RCMP, the Service de police de la Ville de Québec and the Service de police de Lévis.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 9, 2023
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