80 arrests made after months-long investigation into Chester Le gang
Posted June 27, 2019 1:13 pm.
Last Updated June 27, 2019 1:33 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto police’s Integrated Gun and Gang task force spent the morning executing search warrants across the GTA in the culmination of a months-long investigation into an illegal street gang.
Police Chief Mark Saunders said they arrested 37 people Thursday morning and 43 over the course of the investigation. Details of the charges they are facing have not been made public at this time.
Saunders said officers have been working over the last 8 months into the Chester Le gang, who they allege are a criminal organization and “were involved in illegal activities that pose a threat to the community.” He said the arrests have led to a significant disruption in their operation.
A total of 23 firearms have already been seized along with a high quantity of drugs. Saunders said the gang was “active in the sale and distribution of illicit narcotics, specifically fentanyl trafficking.”
He said the Chester Le gang had roots in the area surrounding Victoria Park and Finch avenues, but allege their criminal activities extended through Toronto, the GTA and the rest of the country.
Saunders said police will provide a more comprehensive list of the items taken off the streets in a press conference on Friday, but said he wanted to let the community know what was going.
“Whenever you have a large presence of law enforcement in a small neighbourhood, there are going to be concerns. What are we doing and why are we doing it?”
Watch the full press conference below.
