Maria Diamantis
On April 22, investigators from the Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville (RIPTB) conducted a search of a private residence located in Blainville. The police service had for some time been investigating an individual involved in the sale of products related to the consumption of tobacco and cannabis.
The suspect operated near high schools in the Laurentians region and sold mainly to minors. The search of the suspect’s residence and vehicle led to a major seizure estimated at an approximate value of $ 100,000.
The majority of the products seized are vaping articles, some of which contained (THC) cannabis. The seller was distributing vapers and refills containing either nicotine and others with cannabis. We do not know the origin and composition of the product not being distributed by the Quebec cannabis society.
It is an investigative work of more than two months involving in particular the agents of the section of intelligence and criminal analysis as well as the department of the criminal investigations which will have made it possible to intervene in an effective way in this affair.
“This is a worrying issue since it involved criminality around schools. It is a regional survey. We are very satisfied with the collaborative work between the prevention division, the investigation office as well as the intelligence and criminal analysis section.” said Michel Duchesne, lieutenant-detective, criminal investigations division.
The main suspect was arrested and questioned before being released on conditions including not being within 500 meters of a school. He will have to appear in court on August 11.
Inspector Martin Charron from the Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville in an interview with the North Shore News said that the collaboration between the schools and the police is exemplary. The different schools engage surveillance people who dedicate certain hours daily to monitor school activity. They check for suspicious cars, take down plate numbers etc. If they come across suspicious behaviour, they report to the Thérèse de Blainville PD which subsequently opens a case file. This is what happened in this case as well.
Note that this operation was carried out within the framework of ACCES Cannabis. The Accès-Cannabis program fights against contraband cannabis at all stages of supply, ranging from illegal production to neighborhood contraband throughout Quebec, in particular to promote the integrity of the Quebec tax system and reduce the accessibility of illicit cannabis on the Quebec market, especially among young people.
To do this, the police officers:
Locate outside productions;
Identify responsible illegal producers in order to make arrests;
Recover offense-related property and proceeds of crime;
Dismantle places of illegal production and eradicate plants;
Slow down illicit sourcing and redirect consumers to the legalized market.
A significant number of illegal cannabis productions is still found in Quebec. These productions are highly profitable for criminals acting alone or for criminal organizations, small or large, and generate significant income that can be used to finance criminal activities.
These illegal productions can be linked to other crimes, for example the theft of energy, in addition to being able to be linked to problems of public safety and to be able to contribute to a decrease of the feeling of safety.
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