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Toronto Police have taken down 63 marijuana grow ops across the GTA. But this massive investigation was personal - it led them back to several of their own officers.

The case began several months ago after police received a tip about some marijuana grow houses that were operating in York Region. The trail took them to one of their own and that investigation ultimately wound up implicating a second cop and three corrections officers.

In all, 19 adults and one young offender are facing a range of charges.

All are accused of being involved in a major marijuana, steroid and money laundering ring operating in the GTA, mostly in York Region. Police believe the group has been running for at least two years and it took what Chief Bill Blair calls "extraordinary investigative measures" to bring it all together. Both York and Peel Police were also involved in the massive sweep.

On Thursday, the probe culminated in 63 pre-dawn and early morning raids with 23 arrested and 20 people charged - including the two officers - which Blair believes smashes a major source of illegal drugs in the city.

"As a result of the arrests today, we've also restrained three houses, five vehicles," explains Supt. Jim Ramer, who led the probe. "There was approximately $60,000 in cash that was seized. As well as about 17 pounds of marijuana." Authorities have yet to total up the full value of their haul, but suspect it will be substantial.

The story that marijuana grow ops were taken down isn't a surprise but the alleged involvement of the two officers has left the force stunned. P.C. Kevin Bourne is a nine-year veteran of the force. Det. Cst. Patrick Lee has been with Toronto Police for eight years.

Both are facing a range of serious charges and have been suspended without pay for now. They've both been in the news before, although under very different circumstances.

CityNews was there in July 2000, when Lee was just graduating as a new member of the force. Given the accusations against him now, what he told us then about his reasons for becoming a cop seem terribly ironic. "I wanted to be able to represent my culture and both my culture and Canadian citizens and help protecting them and serving them."



We also ran into Bourne in 2005, when he helped return a vital computer that had been stolen from a blind woman (top left.)

Blair admits this investigation has been painful but because of the alleged police corruption involved, it was done by the book.

"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, that 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."

This case may be destined to be dogged by controversy because the officers could wind up back on the public payroll once they're released from custody.

"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 police officers - to those two persons - because they are police officers that they can only be suspended with pay," Blair explains.

"As long as they abide by the conditions we place upon them to report twice a day, as long as they abide by those conditions, that's what the law requires."

Blair notes he's asked the government to change the law but until that happens he has to follow it and have the force keep issuing a paycheque as long as the officers are part of the force.

Charges against P.C. Bourne:
Participate in offence for criminal organization,
Breach of trust,
Conspiracy to produce marijuana,
Possession of marijuana for the purpose of exporting,
Possession of marijuana.

Charges against Det. Cst. Lee:
Participate in an offence for criminal organization,
Breach of trust,
Obstruct justice,
Laundering proceeds of crime,
Production of marijuana,
Conspiracy to produce marijuana,
Possession of schedule three substance,
Conspiracy to traffic marijuana,
Possession for the purpose of trafficking.

All of the accused will appear in a Newmarket court on Friday.

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