T.O. COP NABBED IN DRUG RING BUST

25 Arrested In U.S.-Canada Raids

A Toronto traffic unit constable was among 25 people rounded up
yesterday as police across Canada and in the United States shut down a
drug ring that swapped B.C. marijuana for cocaine.

Ioan-Florin Floria, 34, with eight years service, was suspended with
pay as he was charged with breach of trust, attempt to obstruct
justice, being an accessory after the fact of kidnapping and
laundering proceeds of crime. He was granted bail yesterday by a
Scarborough judge.

Professional Standards Unit Supt. Chris White alleged that Floria had
a close association with the crime group, whose members share an
Eastern European heritage from Hungary, Albania and Romania.

He said Floria is alleged to have used his position as a cop to
conduct illegal and unauthorized searches of people on the Canadian
Police Information Centre computer system "to assist this
organization."

White said Floria allegedly taught members of the gang how to avoid
police detection while trafficking drugs.

But most disturbingly, the suspended officer is accused of knowing
that gang members were allegedly involved in two violent kidnappings
but didn't tell authorities about it.

EARLY MORNING

Drug Squad Staff-Insp. Don Campbell said the officer was among the
arrested in the 5 a.m. raids involving police from Peel, York, the
DEA, Sterling Heights police in Michigan, the RCMP, Canada Immigration
and Customs and the U.S. Marshal Service.

Charges include conspiracy to export marijuana, trafficking marijuana,
possession for the purpose of trafficking and firearms-related charges.

He said there were three kidnappings in the Toronto area during the
eight-month project, Mascinzana/Osigns, which in part stemmed from a
previous police probe into organized crime.

Campbell said police intervened to rescue one kidnapping target
accused by the gang of stealing marijuana in the U.S. that had really
been seized by police.

"Physically and mentally, they were abused," Campbell said of the two
other victims.

He said police stepped in in the last kidnapping because "knowing the
other two were so violent, we had to stop it."

Police seized about 1,000 pounds of marijuana, valued at $3 million, a
kilo of cocaine worth about $30,000, two stolen vehicles, three
handguns, $487,000 Canadian and $41,000 in U.S. currency,

Police executed 29 raids in British Columbia, Toronto, Mississauga and
Vaughan.

More arrests are expected in Canada and the U.S.

Campbell said the marijuana was shipped to Toronto and then to the
Michigan by water, road and rail.