Police raid Marc and Jodie Emery's Hamilton pot shop after couple's arrest

Toronto police have raided a Hamilton pot shop owned by the so-called Prince of Pot,Marc Emery and his wife, Jodiejust hours after the couple was arrested inToronto headingto a marijuanafestival in Europe.

About a dozen police officers were inside and around the Emery'sHamiltonmarijuana dispensary,Cannabis Culture on King Street East, near Jarvis Street at 11 a.m.

Mark Pugash, a spokesperson forToronto police said the raid was done as part of Project Gator, a Toronto Police Service project targeting marijuana dispensaries across the country.

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In total, 11 search warrants were executed in Hamilton, Toronto andVancouver, including fivemarijuana activists whowere arrested in their homes, according to a Toronto police statement.

BritneyGuerra,owner of the Hamilton Cannabis Culture location in the International Village, was arrested at her home in Stoney Creek on Thursday morning.

The 29-year-oldfaces seven charges for conspiracy and possession.

Staff who were insidethestorefronttold CBC News, that eight undercover Toronto police officers arrived in unmarked vehicles with a search warrant.

"We weren't expecting anything because we work with the city of Hamilton," said Jake Simopoulos, who works at the marijuana dispensary.

Six staff members were involved in the raid.

According to the store's manager, Dan Peters, police seized employees' cell phones, but no arrests were made.

He estimates that more than $22,000 worth of merchandise and cash was taken.

Peters says they plan to reopen for customersby 5 p.m.

The activist couple, Marc and JodieEmery,werearrested Wednesday night at Toronto's Pearson International Airportwhileenrouteto Spannabis, acannabis festival in Spain.

• Prince of Pot Marc Emery, wife Jodie, arrested at Pearson airport

They were charged with drug trafficking, conspiracy and possession.

Their B.C.-based lawyer, KirkTousawtold CBC Newshe spoke to the coupleafter they were taken into custody at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

"Marc was in good spirits, as wasJodie. Obviously both were disappointed at being in custody," he said.

Tousaw hasrepresented Marcin past legal cases and remains close to the couple, although he is not their lawyer on this case.

The couplerun about a dozen marijuana shops in Canada under the Cannabis Culture banner. Marc Emery was released from a U.S. prison in 2014 after spending just over four years behind bars on charges of selling marijuana seeds in the United States.

The pair were represented in a Torontocourt Thursday by Jack Lloyd.

Police say all five activists charged with drug trafficking, conspiracy and possession relatedoffencesare due to appear in Old City Hall court in Toronto at 10 a.m. on Friday.