A $50 MILLION HEROIN HAUL

Eleven Suspects Arrested In Investigation Are Said To Have Links To Asian
Gangs

A record amount of heroin was seized and 11 people arrested in what police
say is a highly sophisticated drug-trafficking network in the Greater
Toronto Area.

The 18 kilograms of almost pure heroin seized during a series of raids in
Toronto and York Region, beginning last Thursday, have an estimated steet
value of $50 million, said Superintendent Ron Taverner, head of Toronto
police force's special investigative services.

"It's the largest seizure in the history of Toronto police with regard to
heroin," Taverner said. "We believe it's probably the largest seizure in
Ontario other than at a port of entry such as the airport or a customs
facility."

Police say the discovery of 1,000 hits of Ecstasy in the seizure suggests
drug traffickers may have been targeting young people at raves and
attempting to get them hooked on heroin, a highly addictive drug.

"It's not surprising to see gangs like this selling popular designer drugs
to young people and then moving them on to heroin," Taverner said.

He said drug traffickers need customers for heroin and this is a way of
getting them hooked. There are only so many heroin users around and
traffickers have to increase their customer base, Taverner said.

Detective Sergeant David Brownell, of the investigative services' major
drug section, put together a 50-member task force comprising drug squad
officers from Toronto and York Region, the combined forces Asian
investigative unit and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police proceeds of crime
unit.

The arrests followed an eight-month undercover investigation that began
after drug squad officers purchased a quantity of heroin from a street
dealer.

"This is a very significant seizure," Taverner said.

"It's a very large organization that we've taken out. This will have an
impact on the heroin distribution on the street."

Those arrested are associated with Asian gangs in Canada and China, and are
part of an organized crime network, he said, adding that some gang members
have to be highly connected to deal in this quality and quantity of heroin.

"We rarely see 99 per cent pure heroin on the streets," he said. "In fact,
we don't see it on the streets. If someone was to use drugs at 99 per cent
pure, . . . they would die."

The investigation - code-named Pizza/Haze because police initially made
drug purchases in pizza shops - is believed to have uncovered a top-level
drug dealer and smashed an operation that used a rented apartment in
Scarborough to process quantities of heroin and other drugs.

Taverner said the bulk of the heroin seized during the raids - 14 kilograms
- - was found in an apartment unit on Greystone Walk Dr., which served as a
base where heroin was packed into blocks for street distribution.

"No one lived in the apartment unit," a police source said. "It had been
rented just as a place to handle the drugs."

Smaller amounts of heroin were seized during the various arrests.

Apart from the heroin and Ecstasy, drug squad officers also seized a heroin
processing press, weigh scales, about $100,000 in cash, a handgun and
several expensive cars.

The investigation cost more than $100,000 in police salaries, but Taverner
would not say how much undercover officers spent to buy drugs.

The heroin seized during the undercover probe was probably destined for the
Greater Toronto Area and investigations are continuing to find how it
arrived in Canada, he said.

"It has a severe impact on the whole community."

Taverner said two other individuals are being sought in addition to the 11
arrested.

Charges include conspiracy to traffic in heroin, drug trafficking and
possession of Ecstasy and heroin for the purpose of trafficking.