(Laval) The Laval police arrested two weeks ago in Montreal a 31-year-old man whom they suspect of being linked in particular to arson at the expense of merchants.
The Service de police de Laval (SPL) specifies on Wednesday that during the arrest in the borough of Montreal-Nord of Denis Rufino Mjia-Garcia, on April 5, a search of his residence led to the seizure of a large quantity of narcotics with a total value of over $500,000, as well as several Canadian currencies considered proceeds of crime.
Denis Rufino Mejia-Garcia has been remanded in custody. He faces charges of arson, possession of incendiary materials and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
He will return to court on May 16 and police say more charges may be brought against him as the investigation into him is still ongoing.
The SPL’s General Crimes Squad adds that the arrest and search warrant for the suspect’s home is part of Project Wick, which looks into cases of extortion, threats and arson targeting merchants located in the territories of Laval, Montreal and North Crown. The Wick project is led by the SPL jointly with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and the Montreal Police Service (SPVM).