MONTREAL POLICE OFFICER SUSPENDED AFTER ARREST FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING

MONTREAL (CP) -- A city police officer with 25 years of service was
suspended Saturday after being arrested in connection with a drug
trafficking ring. Claude Hebert, 49, was arrested Friday night and
arraigned Saturday morning in St-Jerome on charges of possession and
cultivation of marijuana with intent to distribute.

"I would say there were about 100 officers working on this case," Insp.
Serge Frenette said at a news conference. "A hundred police officers who
knew they were working on an organization involving a work colleague, a
hundred police officers who wouldn't accept that a police officer conduct
himself in this manner."

An alleged accomplice appeared in court with Hebert while a second is being
sought.

"Under normal circumstances, if there wasn't a police officer involved we
would not have made the arrests so quickly," said Frenette. "We would have
done it when we could arrest all three suspects."

Police said 75 marijuana plants worth about $75,000 were found in a home in
Rosemere, Que., about 50 kilometres north of Montreal.