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Toronto – Twenty-four suspects, including a 17-year-old, have been arrested after a drug sweep in the heart of the city. A series of raids unfolded Wednesday night along Yonge street. Officers targeted College Park which houses court rooms, the Atrium on Bay, as well as fast food joints and arcades.

The two-week police project dubbed, “Take the Money and Run”, involved undercover officers making a series of drug buys on the Yonge street strip. Arrests were to be made later, but Drug Squad Staff Inspector Don Campbell said detectives uncovered a number of different ring leaders recruiting drug addicts to do the dirty work for them.

“A lot of the dealers, we found have substance abuse problems themselves and that’s why we think the hierarchy was using them to make the deals to keep themselves removed.”

Campbell added crack cocaine was the drug being sold and dealers were targeting teens who hang out at food courts and arcades near Yonge and Dundas.

Police are still looking for thirteen others.