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MONTREAL (CP) - RCMP allege a 48-year-old woman from the Mohawk territory of Kanesatake, near Montreal, is the leader of a drug ring that made weekly shipments to the United States.
Spokesman Guy Amyot said that Sharon Simon was among the 36 people arrested and charged during raids that took place early Wednesday. The Mounties believe "the leading organizer of this network was the lady we arrested in Kanesatake," Amyot said in an interview.
Amyot said Simon has been charged with trafficking, conspiracy, money laundering and gangsterism.
He added the network also had close links to Hells Angels chapters in Montreal, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivieres, midway between Montreal and Quebec City.
The RCMP said 42 searches were carried out, 24 in the Sherbrooke area, 16 in Montreal and one in Kanesatake.
Amyot said, along with the seizure of cannibis, cocaine and $1,000,000 cash, police also confiscated six weapons including an AK-47 rifle.
"This is a network that was involved in the exportation of approximately 100 pounds of cannibis on a weekly basis to the United States," he said.
"This organization laundered about $4.8 million US from January to May of this year in the 35 transactions they made."
Amyot said the drugs were shipped mainly through U.S. border crossings at Coaticook, Que., and Cornwall, Ont. and most of the exporting was done from the Sherbrooke area.
The other suspects face charges of conspiracy, gangsterism and money laundering.
About 350 police officers, including members of the RCMP, Quebec provincial police and aboriginal police, carried out the drug raids.
A search warrant related to the drug ring was also carried out in Indian River, Sask.
© The Canadian Press, 2006
