MONTREAL, April 12 (UPI) -- A series of raids on suspected Mafia-run marijuana operations in Quebec Thursday resulted in the shooting of a 63-year-old suspect, police said.
Fourteen synchronized early morning raids in southern Quebec involved the provincial police, the Royal Canadian Mounted police and several municipal forces, The (Montreal) Gazette reported.
The shooting by provincial SWAT team officers occurred at a motel in the small town of St. Zotique, 40 miles southwest of Montreal, police said.
Authorities released few details about the shooting of the unidentified 63-year-old suspect, who was hospitalized in critical but stable condition, the newspaper said.
By midday, police said they had arrested four men ranging in age from 29 to 63 on drug possession and trafficking charges. One suspect was arrested as he was about to board a flight out of Montreal, the report said.
Montreal Police Constable Anthony Cantelmi told the Gazette as many as 10,000 marijuana plants were seized along with more than 50 pounds of packaged marijuana and $20,000 in cash.
