'Several' people arrested after RCMP drug raids in Moncton, Fredericton areas

Several people were arrested Wednesday after RCMP raided four locations in the province as part of a single drug investigation.

Police executed simultaneous search warrants at three homes in the Moncton area and another in Douglas, northwest of Fredericton, around 5 a.m., said New Brunswick RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jullie Rogers-Marsh.

She described the operation as "significant" in scale, involving numerous officers and specialized units.

A number of items have been seized, and police continued to work into the afternoon, processing some of the scenes, she said.

No charges have been laid yet, said Rogers-Marsh.

"There's still quite a bit of work left to do," she said. More information is expected to be released on Thursday.

CBC News has confirmed the targeted properties in the Moncton area include: 204 Dominion St., in the downtown, 45 Donovan Terrace, on the north side, and 47292 Homestead Rd., a rural area northwest of the city limits.

About 10 officers, some in tactical gear, carted bags and bins of items out the back door of the two-storey duplex on Dominion Street throughout the day.

One area resident told CBC News she awoke to the sound of stun grenades going off.

Firefighters assisted with ventilation at the site, said Capt. Brian McDonald. He declined further comment, saying "it's a police matter."

Angela Reid, who lives across from the raided townhouse unit on Donovan Terrace, said she heard three "loud bangs" as police made their way through the door. When she looked out her window, she saw two SWAT teams, "a bunch" of officers and police dogs.

There were "all kinds of comings and going on over there" for about three hours, she said.

Then she observed a maintenance worker change the locks.

Reid, who has lived in the area for about 2½ years, said she has seen police "come and go," but has never witnessed anything like this before.

At least five police vehicles surrounded the bungalow on Homestead Road.

Doug Good, who lives next door, said he thought there was a fire.

"I could smell something — I didn't know what it was — but anyway, I went over to see and they arrested me for going over some kind of security line," he said.

Good was later released. He's still not sure what he smelled, he said.