Ex-cop Ian Davidson's sons charged with producing, trafficking counterfeit Xanax
Police allege drug ring intended to sell counterfeit tablets through Canada Post
Simon and Christian Davidson, the sons of disgraced former Montreal police officer Ian Davidson, are among five suspects awaiting a bail hearing Friday following their arrest in a major drug-trafficking raid Tuesday in Laval.
The five face charges of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of drugs for export and producing contraband Xanax tablets.
Police said they seized two million counterfeit pills, three pistols, a bulletproof vest, $200,000 in cash and five presses required in the manufacturing of the phony medication.
The raid was carried out by Laval police and the provincial police as part of Project Affranchi.
Police believe the suspects planned to sell the pills in the U.S. and Western Canada and said many tablets are already in circulation throughout Quebec.
The dealers were planning to employ a novel approach by selling the drugs through Canada Post and other mail services, police said at a news conference in Laval Thursday.
Police are advising the public to avoid ingesting the pills — which are black, white or green — as the dosage is unknown.
Ian Davidson, the father of the two brothers facing charges, was a retired police officer suspected of attempting to sell police information to members of organized crime.
Davidson was arrested in October 2011 attempting to leave for Costa Rica with a computer said to contain sensitive police information.
Davidson committed suicide in a hotel room on Jan. 18, 2012.