Toronto police arrest over 50 in gun-and-gang raids

Police in Canada's biggest city said Friday they have arrested more than 50 people linked with a violent gang in a citywide guns-and-drugs crackdown.

A total of 53 individuals associated with violent gang Heart of A King, including a gang leader, were apprehended in the raids that led to 250 charges and the seizure of thousands of dollars' worth of drugs, weapons and jewelry.

The raids are part of an ongoing guns, gangs and drugs investigation dubbed "Project Sizzle," an operation carried out at locations across Toronto and Montreal.

Police said the dismantled Heart of A King gang, also known as HOK, was responsible for a string of violent crimes that took place mainly in Toronto downtown core, over the past few years including some notorious homicides.

Toronto police chief Mark Saunders said they were able to "eradicate" the gangsters as a result of the 43 raids. The majority of the arrests were made in Toronto. Four people were arrested in Montreal.

Police alleged that the organization's members and their associates were involved in numerous shootings, firearm possession trafficking, drug trafficking, fraud and prostitution.

Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash said they believed the arrests would have a "significant impact in reducing crime in the city."

So far, there have been 19 deadly shootings in Toronto this year, a 137-percent jump from the same time in 2015, according to Toronto police statistics.

There were 162 shootings in total, up from 103 over the same period last year. Endit