Sources tell CTV this may be the biggest bust in Ottawa Police Service history as law enforcement officials from all levels unveil details of a massive multi-million dollar drug bust.
Ottawa Police, Ontario Provincial Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police disclosed some specifics at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The investigation dubbed "Project Sleepwalker," was 18 months long and focused on a criminal organization distributing drugs in Ottawa.
Ottawa police chief Vern White says they were alerted of alleged criminal activity by residents of Vanier just east of Ottawa's downtown core. The tip eventually led the investigation to Toronto.
"Our investigators conducted numerous searches here in Ottawa and Toronto and which resulted in the seizure of vehicles, jewelry, bank accounts, household items and large quantities of cash," said Francois Bidal of the RCMP.
Police say assets valued $2.5 million and that the drugs seized were worth $2.7 million.
Among the items:
- crystal meth
- cocaine
- heroin
- marijuana
- gold
- cash
- handguns
- shotguns
Police say dozens of arrests were made after executing 20 search warrants between December 5 and 7.
More than 200 charges have been laid against 22 people. Most of those charged are residents of Ottawa. Some live in Almonte.
Accused Persons:
- Teodulo Carizon - 44 years old (Ottawa)
- Ezzedine Cheikhezzein - 51 years old (Ottawa)
- Issa Cheikhezzein - 29 years old (Ottawa)
- Dustin Davidson - 29 years old (Almonte)
- Aissa El-Zein - 29 years old (Ottawa)
- Tarek El-Zein - 31 years old (Ottawa)
- Moustafa Jabara - 24 years old (Ottawa)
- Ali Kangarloo - 28 years old (Ottawa)
- Volkan Kizir - 29 years old (Ottawa)
- Fang Lu - 31 years old (Ottawa)
- Kim Ling McDermid - 31 years old (Ottawa)
- Catherine Pham - 21 years old (Ottawa)
- Ahmad Rezai - 32 years old (Ottawa)
- Mohammad Rezai - 60 years old (Ottawa)
- Muria Rezai - 56 years old (Ottawa)
- Yama Rezai - 21 years old (Ottawa)
- K-Meng Tang - 44 years old (Ottawa)
- Nikki Thornton - 26 years old (Almonte)
- Allan Vuong - 28 years old (Ottawa)
- Matthew Weber - 27 years old (Ottawa)
- Michael Chun Wong - 27 years old (Ottawa)
- Ghassan Zahran - 32 years old (Ottawa)
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Catherine Lathem