More than 60 kilograms of opium was seized in the Toronto area during a 15-month probe into an international smuggling ring, police said Thursday.
The investigation began in January of 2009 and culminated on Wednesday with the arrests of 11 suspects, RCMP Cpl. Cathie Glenn told ctvtoronto.ca.
Glenn said that officers also seized 1.5 kilograms of heroin during the operation. Opium is used to make heroin.
The busts came as RCMP officers worked with the Canada Border Services Agency and Toronto police in executing simultaneous search warrants at nine locations.
During Wednesday's raids, police discovered 10,000 ecstasy pills.
The suspects face several charges, including possession of opium, importing opium, drug trafficking and laundering money.
Police said that the drugs originated in the Middle East and followed smuggling routes through Europe and North America. Police allege that the smugglers were operating in a "loosely-structured Middle Eastern criminal enterprise."
Toronto police, meanwhile, credited the local Persian community in helping officers with the investigation.
