The Montreal police have just arrested a 27-year-old man suspected of being the head of a distribution network of cannabis vapers and several other derivative products. Mainly active in the social media business, the group of the young suspect also operated in two other Quebec cities, and one in Ontario.
It was the ACCES Cannabis unit of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) which first carried out, a few days ago, various searches in a commercial space and two residences in the Ahuntsic- Cartierville and Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
In a press release, the police force specifies that these searches “allowed the seizure of 17,000 THC vapers as well as quantities of wax and dried cannabis”. “Investigators also found close to $63,000 in cash and various luxury goods. A vehicle used for transporting narcotics was also searched,” he said.
Kasey Paul Buzas, 27, was later arrested. The man appeared on June 15 and 20 before a judge at the Montreal courthouse. Among other things, he faces charges of possession for the purpose of selling and distributing cannabis.
According to the police investigation, the products sold were mainly aimed at teenagers, having in particular and above all “used social media”. The main cities of operation were Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Saint-Jérôme and Ottawa.
The modus operandi involved at least one other person. “A man, who was supplied with vaporizers from the network, then resold them near secondary schools in Trois-Rivières”, clearly mentions the SPVM, pointing out that this other individual, unidentified, was also arrested by the Contraband Investigation Service of the Sûreté du Québec.
A popular product
From last year, The Press reported that cannabis vaping is gaining traction among high school kids. Prohibited from sale in Quebec, the vape pen or wax pen, with a very high concentration of THC, can nevertheless be purchased on the web in a few minutes.
As the investigation remains active, the police invite anyone with relevant information to contact 911, or their neighborhood station. The confidential Info-Crime Montreal center can also be contacted at 514-393-1133, or via its website. Rewards of up to $3,000 can be offered “for information leading to the arrest of suspects,” under certain conditions.
Taking advantage of the occasion, the SPVM also recalled on Wednesday that “the consumption of drugs sold illegally can prove to be extremely dangerous for health”. “For example, the presence of solvents or an abnormally high concentration of THC can be found inside cannabis products sold illegally,” authorities warned.