Canadian Law Enforcement announced this week that they dealt a serious blow to traditional organized crime with the raids carried out in the Montréal region. Ninety persons, including Nicolo Rizzuto, Paolo Renda, Francesco Arcadi and Rocco Sollecito, will face close to 1,000 charges. These charges were laid thanks to Project Colisée, the purpose of which was to tackle a major criminal organization on several fronts.
Investigators were able to infiltrate the organized crime group and take it by surprise identifying and arresting the leaders of the organization and uncovering conspiracies to import cocaine via the Montréal Trudeau Airport; a conspiracy to import 1,300 kilograms of cocaine to Canada by containers; the corruption of CBSA officers and conspiracies to import indeterminate quantities of drugs using their services; a bookmaking business; an attempt to commit murder; cocaine trafficking; and a cannabis route to the United States using the Akwesasne Territory.
The undercover investigation made it possible to identify the key members of this organization. Six men have been charged with conspiracy to import, drug trafficking, conspiracy for the purpose of trafficking, gangsterism, bookmaking, extortion, possession of proceeds of crime.
In addition millions in proceeds of crime have been seized as well as several properties.
The targets of this investigation and anyone connected to or involved with these individuals will have some sleepless nights until this investigation wraps up. The full story can be found by visiting the Government of Canada website.
In China, it was announced that Chinese police have cracked more than 1,300 criminal gangs in the latest campaign against organized crime. For a sense of the impact that these group have on the people of China see Xinhua site.
Finally, this week it was also announced that the Manitoba Provincial government will double its funding for the Organized Crime force to $800,000 next year from $400,000 this year.
