TORONTO – Police raided several homes this morning in one of the largest co-ordinated effort by forces from all over Ontario. Project Corral, as it was dubbed, saw officers executing warrants from Etobicoke to Scarborough and even in Ottawa.

The early morning police activity resulted in 71 arrests of members of three gangs- Five Point Generals (5PG), The Falstaff Crips, and the Shower Posse, a somewhat quiet gang that controls the entry of weapons and drugs into the area, and distributes them throughout Ontario.

The project was a joint-forces operation involving Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Peel Regional Police Service, the Hamilton Police Service, the Canada Border Services Agency, and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

Specialized units had been working on the project since August 2009, focusing on criminal activity involving the gangs in what appeared to be a turf war.

Two homicides are also being investigated in relation to the project. Aeron Grant, 19 was murdered on December 3, 2009; 30 Falstaff Avenue and Tyrell Duffus, 22 was gunned down on February 8, 2010 at 20 Falstaff Avenue.

By the time officers were done this morning they had also seized a quantity of property including:

- 10 firearms
- $30,000 cash
- cocaine
- crack cocaine
- marijuana
- body armour
- vehicles

The raids were executed by more than 1,000 officers including approximately 340 tactical officers. As the warrants were executed across the city at around 4:30am an OPP helicopter was seen circling the area of Lawrence Ave. W. and Weston Rd.

Many charges are expected to be laid including commit criminal offence in association with a criminal organization, trafficking in firearms, and traffic in illegal drugs.