Toronto police have arrested more than 20 people allegedly involved in street-level drug dealing in the downtown core.
The majority of the raids took place on Wednesday, but police are still looking for more than a dozen suspects.
Officers rounded up many of the accused after 7 p.m. Wednesday at a number of locations along the Yonge Street strip downtown, where the alleged drug dealing was occurring.
The accused were rounded up over the last two weeks. Police labelled the project "Take the Money and Run."
"(Police focused) on the areas on the Yonge Street strip where the drug dealing was occurring," Supt. Hugh Ferguson said at a morning press conference.
"Specific areas were College Park, the Atrium on Bay, the arcades on Yonge Street and the fast food outlets along Yonge."
Police said the suspects were allegedly selling crack cocaine. The investigation followed complaints by business owners and downtown residents, who said they were constantly being approached by the suspects.
"(The investigation) protects people's lives," said Staff Insp. Don Campbell. "There were people walking down the street being accosting by drug dealers.
"The problem with the street-level (drug dealing) is that these are the people that are going out and breaking into your cars, breaking into your homes, breaking into the shops."
Police said different drug organizations vied and often squabbled for territory along Yonge.
The suspects face dozens of drug trafficking charges.
The force deemed the arrests a success, and said police will likely conduct similar investigations in other parts of the city.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Jim Junkin
