Quebec police seize thousands of meth tablets, equipment, cash in raids

A Surete du Quebec (SQ) squad car. (Daniel J. Rowe/CTV News)

Quebec police arrested a half-dozen men, and seized cash, hash, almost 100,000 meth tablets and other drugs after raiding 11 locations across the province.

The provincial police, along with officers from Sherbrooke and Terrebonne police, targeted drug production and trafficking operations in Sainte-Sophie, Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, Saint-Bernard, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Sherbrooke and Terrebonne.

Officers searched residences, a storage building, warehouses and two vehicles.

Two men from Sainte-Sophie, 30 and 53 years old, were arrested, in addition to a Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm man, 56, a Saint-Bernard-de-Beauce man, 45, a Terrebonne man, 73, and a 27-year-old man from Sherbrooke.

They were released pending further legal proceedings.

The following items were seized:

• Nearly $32,000 cash;
• Around $19,000 in counterfeit $100 bills
• Just over 94,000 methamphetamine tablets;
• Just over 25 kg of hashish;
• 5 litres of hashish oil;
• One pound of cannabis;
• Approximately 10 grams of psilocybin;
• Approximately 270 kg of powdered methamphetamine/MDMA;
• Nearly 65 kg of powdered THC;
• Just over 3,100 assorted tabs;
• Approximately 4,500 kg of various production supplies (cellulose, caffeine);
• 15 weapons (handguns, long guns, crossbows and bows);
• Synthetic drug production equipment, including 14 tablet presses, 7 industrial mixers, 4 butane extraction ovens and 1 hashish grinder;
• 9 mobile phones;
• 2 luxury watches;
• 2 vehicles

Around 80 officers in the ENRCO (Escouade nationale de répression du crime organisé) squad participated in the operation, in addition to the provincial tactical unit, dog handlers and the laboratory dismantling team, the SQ said.

The operation lasted over two days.