95 arrested in pre-dawn raids, police say

Ninety-five people face more than 700 criminal charges after Wednesday's pre-dawn raids across southern Ontario, police announced Thursday as they displayed the weapons and illegal drugs seized in the massive operation.

Those arrested in the investigation targeting members and associates of the Driftwood Crips street gang include 69 men, 21 women and five youth, police said at a news conference.There are outstanding warrants for nine suspects.

The suspectsmade their first court appearances Thursday and will be held in custody until bail hearings, but police say they expect most will be kept behind bars until charges are before the courts.

Chargesagainst theminclude committing criminal offences in association with a criminal organization, trafficking in firearms and possession of narcotics.

An estimated $1 million worth of drugs including 30 kilograms of cocaine, 20 kilograms of marijuana and nine kilograms of hash oil was also seized.

Police seized 32 firearms, 900 rounds of ammunition and a quarter of a million dollars in U.S. and Canadian currency.

Among the guns seized was what one officer called a "formidable" weapon a MAC-11 machine pistol.

But at Thursday's news conference, questions were focused on the way police conducted raids in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood.

In one instance, 10-year-old Andrene Mitchell said shestood by while her uncle wasarrested and hauled away, the Toronto Star reported.

"The police officer, they came and they were kicking down the doors and they were pointing their guns at my sister and me," she told the Star.

Police didn't comment on specific incidents, but defended the raids, saying weeks of preparations helped them determine when a forceful entry was necessary.

"If any of our houses were tactically entered it, it was based on a threat assessment done prior to that," said Toronto police Staff Insp. Joe Tomei.

In total, police executed search warrants on 88 homes, though not all were so-called tactical entries when heavily armed officersstorminto a homein a surprise raid.

Tomei said the raids removed violent thugs who have been intimidating law-abiding citizens in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood.

"My personal perspective is that the silent majority in the community is fully behind us and quite thankful," said Tomei.