Centaur firearms strategy investigators seized firearms and narcotics on Wednesday evening in the Saint-Henri neighborhood of Montreal.
The current searches are the result of an investigation that began in March. The search mobilized police officers from the Integrated Arms Trafficking Team (EILTA), made up of police officers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).
“It is special that an operation of this kind is held in the evening […] The investigation was initiated last March, but it is still active and we expect to have a report from our investigators concerning the search in the next few hours, ”said Sergeant Audrey-Anne Bilodeau in a telephone interview. – speech of the SQ.
It was impossible to know immediately how many police officers were mobilized and with more precision what had been seized, but there could be arrests.
“Indeed, it is not impossible. In certain places where our police are conducting searches, if there are people there, these people will be met and depending on their level of involvement, we could expect arrests. This is what we will know Thursday morning, ”said Sergeant Bilodeau.
Faced with the rise in crimes involving firearms, particularly in Montreal, the Quebec government announced last September the deployment of police personnel to counter the entry, circulation and use of firearms. Nicknamed the Centaur Strategy, it also relies on collaboration with various municipal police forces.
Any information related to the possession, trafficking or use of firearms can be communicated to the CENTAURE information line at 1-833-888-ARME (2763).
With The Canadian Press