P.E.I. POLICE OFFICERS PLAY ROLE IN BUST OF MAJOR DRUG RING

Members of P.E.I. Emergency Response Team Involved in Covert
Operation That Saw RCMP Take Control of Tons of Hashish From Boat Off
African Coast.

In the covert world of police tactical troops, little is being said
other than some members of the P.E.I. Emergency Response Team were
involved in a recent massive drug operation involving a boat off the
coast of Africa.

"The Montreal drug section confirms that yes, there was a member of
the tactical team of the Charlottetown City Police who was involved
in some operations done in the Maritimes," said Cpl. Luc Bessette,
spokesperson for the RCMP in Montreal, Que.

The bust focused on three Montreal men and resulted in the RCMP
taking control of 22.5 tons of hashish aboard a boat off the coast of Africa.

"The drugs came back to Canada, we brought it back to Canada and we
did not want to say exactly how we brought it back to Montreal but it
was not by boat," said Bessette.

"The drugs ended up in the Maritimes and were brought back to
Montreal by police. A quantity of that size (made it) a covert
operation. It had to be concealed and it had to be protected as well.
The police of the Maritimes was involved. We did appreciate the help
from the Maritimes."

Known as Project Chabanel, the operation involved close co-operation
with Canada's Department of National Defence and RCMP liaison
officers in England, Morocco, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Spain.

A news release from Bessette's office said that for more than a year
and a half, investigators from Montreal and Halifax RCMP Drug
Sections worked on the details.

"The investigation was launched after information was gathered to the
effect that Peter Toman, a subject linked to the West End Gang, was
involved in a major hashish import operation from Africa.

"The Peter Toman organization first had to find a crew and ship
suitable for deep-water navigation and for transporting the drugs,"
said the RCMP news release. "Project Chabanel was therefore initiated
by the RCMP. A vessel was chartered for the purposes of the
operation. By early May the vessel had travelled to a pre-determined
location approximately 200 miles off the coast of Angola in southern Africa.

"At this point the drugs were transferred from the supply vessel,
whose crew was primarily made up of Filipino sailors, to the RCMP
vessel. The RCMP (officers) spent more than 43 days at sea in order
to seize the 22.5 tons of hashish and thus prevent its distribution
to communities in Canada.

"HMCS Fredericton, a Department of National Defence frigate, followed
the RCMP vessel at a distance and was ready to respond and to provide
necessary assistance throughout the journey, ensuring the safety of
the police officers and serving as command post.

"Once transshipment was completed to the RCMP vessel, the drugs were
brought into Canada and taken to Montreal under heavy police escort.

"The drug shipment was to be delivered to the Peter Toman
organization on June 2, 2006. This is when the arrests were made.

"In addition to seizing 22.5 tons of hashish, the federal police had
obtained $195,000 (Cdn) from the Peter Toman organization.

"This 22.5-ton seizure represents more than six times the amount of
hashish (seized) last year in Canada and/or en-route to Canada," the
RCMP release continued. "This much hashish could have yielded
approximately 22.5 million hits if sold by the unit that now will not
go toward benefiting organized crime.

"The main conspirators arrested in Project Chabanel are 59-year-old
Peter Toman, 24-year-old Andrew Toman and 57-year-old Sidney Lallouz.
All three men are from the Montreal area. They have been charged with
drug importation, conspiracy to import, possession for the purpose of
trafficking and drug trafficking under the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act. The three subjects controlled an "import" cell of the
West End Gang. The investigation is ongoing.

"It should be noted that Project Chabanel required the participation
of almost all the Montreal RCMP Drug Section investigators," said the
news release. "In all, more than 250 RCMP officers from Quebec, the
Ottawa region, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island,
Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and close to 200 sailors of the
Department of National Defence took part in the investigation."