[420 Girl]

Two Toronto police officers and three correctional officers were among those swept up by a massive crackdown on marijuana grow operations yesterday that led to raids on 63 homes or businesses across the Greater Toronto Area and the breakup of what police are calling an elaborate drug operation.

Chief Bill Blair, of Toronto police, said he was very disappointed to learn that two of his officers were allegedly involved in a drug trafficking operation that involved marijuana, *edit harder drugs and money laundering.

“It is, frankly, a betrayal of all of the hard-working and decent men and women of the Toronto Police Service and the policing profession in this country and right across Ontario,” the Chief told a news conference. (watch video of the news conference)

“All of us need to maintain the trust of the people that we serve, and the conduct alleged by these two individual officers — and quite frankly, also by those corrections officers who are accused in today’s investigation — that trust is challenged, and we are very disappointed by this investigation.”

Constable Kevin Bourne, with nine years of service, and Detective Constable Patrick Lee, with eight years on the force, are charged with participating in a criminal organization, breach of trust, producing, possessing and trafficking marijuana. Det.-Const. Lee is also charged with obstruction of justice, money laundering and additional drug charges. Both were scheduled to appear in a Newmarket court today.

Officers from York, Peel and Toronto police arrested 19 people and seized three houses, five vehicles, $60,000 and almost eight kilograms of marijuana in yesterday’s raids, the culmination of several months of investigation.

Chief Blair admitted the case was difficult because of the alleged police involvement, but insisted it was done by the book. He said the investigation into the gang, which has been operating for at least two years, took “extraordinary investigative measures” to bring together.

The 63 pre-dawn and early-morning raids smashed a major source of illegal drugs in the city, Chief Blair said.

In 2007, the Toronto police services board awarded Const. Bourne a “teamwork commendation,” citing him for “exceptional performance of duty, community policing initiatives or innovations or initiatives that enhance the image or operation of the [police] service.”

If the two officers are released on bail, they will be suspended with pay until their case is decided.

“The law in Ontario … requires that even though the criminal conduct alleged has virtually nothing to do with their job and is contrary to every aspect of our oath of office, the protection is extended … to those two persons, because they are police officers, that they can only be suspended with pay,” Chief Blair said.

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