Police display Luminati haul
Posted Oct 21, 2010 03:42:35 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
“…Designed to prey upon the addictions of others, and…absolutely driven by greed.”
That’s how Waterloo Regional Police describe the organized crime group, Luminati, which was hit hard by a series of local drug raids early Wednesday morning.
Superintendent, Gary Askin tells 570 News police seized several kinds of drugs, as well as a long gun, a paint ball gun, ten vehicles, ATVs, a motorcycle, and even a boat.
Police also seized the Luminati clubhouse at 6998 Concession 2 in Puslinch, as well as nine other properties: four in Kitchener, including 132 Weber St. East; three in Cambridge; one in Wellesley Township; and one in North Dumfries.
Askin says the arrest count is now up to 19 charged, with two more warrants expected to be issued and many other people under investigation.
136 charges have been laid so far.
Askin says the Luminati first came to light in the region in October 2008.
Yesterday’s ten simultaneous raids marked the end of a fourteen month investigation.
Askin says not everyone charged is a Luminati member, but all are local.
Askin says the gang is believed to connected to the Hell’s Angels, but he can not elaborate on that due to a court-imposed publication ban.
Police are still counting the haul of drugs, but it already includes:
200 lbs. of marijuana bud
200 marijuana plants
About 2 lbs. of methamphetamine
1 kg of ecstasy
10 ounces of heroine
2 kg of powdered cocaine
Askin says there is no dollar value calculated yet for all the drugs, police are still doing an inventory, and they’ll need a couple more days to tally it all up.
Police Chief Matt Torigian says his officers are in a “full court press” against local drug crime.
He says it is just as important to fight the demand for drugs as the supply.
All the people arrested in this operation have begun their court proceedings.
