'COMIC BOOK' GANG RAIDS NAB 60 PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Some of the alleged gang members rounded up across the country Tuesday
in a series of early-morning raids were youths not much beyond the
comic-book-reading age.

Of the 60 arrests, 10 of the accused are 17 and under, and some may
even be as young as 14, police said.

In fact, they are so young that police nicknamed their investigation
Project Marvel as many gang members took on the names of Marvel Comics
superheroes.

The gang with the youngest members is named Young Buck Killaz and the
older group is known as the G-Siders because they operated on the
Gosford Blvd. side of Jane St.

In one of the largest joint-forces operations ever in Canada, more
than 900 officers across the country executed 67 search warrants and
arrested 60 people. By the time everyone is processed, police expect
more than 300 charges will be laid.

More information about the charges and evidence seized, such as drugs,
weapons and cash, will be detailed at a news conference on Wednesday.

Both gangs operated in the northwest corner of the city, and
terrorized their neighbourhoods as they fought for control of that
territory with shootings, robberies and drug trafficking, police said.

What is different about these gangs is how widespread they became,
moving beyond Ontario and into western cities such as Fort McMurray,
Alta., and Surrey, B.C.

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair said this was a "oelevel of mobility
among street gangs that we had not previously witnessed in this city."

The high level of enforcement in the Toronto area pushed many gang
members to locate elsewhere, police said.

The gangs were "well organized and ruthless," said Supt. Chris
White, who leads the organized crime unit in Toronto.

The project was launched in May after a robbery in the Jane-Finch area
and a shooting that followed.

The investigation grew to involve police in Waterloo and London, as
well as the OPP.

Det. Sgt. Chris McKoy of the London Police Service said some of the
gang links have been traced to six shootings in that area since the
beginning of the year.