Members from several New Brunswick police forces have teamed up with the Canada Border Services Agency to crack down on drug trafficking and organized crime in the region.

Police say they conducted searches and made arrests at homes and businesses in communities across southern New Brunswick, including Saint John, Scoudouc, Oromocto, Moncton, Seeleys Cove, Springfield, Grand Manan and Willow Grove.

Police also executed searches in Laval, Quebec and in the Halifax area in connection with the investigation.

They say 28 people are facingdrug-related charges while some are also facing charges in relation to participation in a criminal organization, conspiracy to traffic drugs, firearms offences and proceeds of crime offences:

  • Anthony Edison, 37, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Shane Williams, 32, of Smithtown, N.B.
  • Jason Smith, 31, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Thomas Edison, 40, of Saint John, N.B
  • Ronald Meunier, 41, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Clifford Hughes, 34, Saint John, N.B.
  • Raymond Desylva, 46, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Joey Cormier, 42, of Scoudouc, N.B.
  • Jeffrey Cormier, 40, of Moncton, N.B.
  • Robert White, 41, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Christopher Hachey, 37, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Joshua Kindred, 38, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Kevin Sexton, 30, of Oromocto, N.B.
  • Shane Simpson, 41, of Moncton, N.B.
  • Dale Baiani, 39, of Moncton, N.B.
  • John Deas, 41, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Patrick O'Neil, 33, of Saint John, N.B.
  • James Polley, 33, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Tamara Jones, 25, Seeleys Cove, N.B.
  • James Mailman, 37, of Saint John, N.B.
  • Claude DiFazio, 53, of Laval, P.Q.
  • Gordon White, 73, Saint John, N.B.
  • Joey LeBlanc, 41, Saint John, N.B.
  • Michel Hébert, 39, of Springfield, N.B.
  • Kevin Maker, 48, of Grand Manan, N.B.
  • Jeffrey Moorcroft, 20, Willow Grove, N.B.
  • Derik Rossignol, 25, of Tracey, N.B.
  • Adam Ratcliffe, 25, of Fredericton, N.B.

Police say the alleged leaders of three criminal groups in New Brunswick are among those arrested.

“Basically it is a group of at least three people that get together to do criminal activity, so those are all details that will be coming out,” says New Brunswick RCMP Const. Chantal Farrah.

“This has had and will have a significant impact on the safety of our communities because, as you know, where there is drug trafficking there is also the risk of offences of violence and other negative things in our communities.”

Saint John’s Big Shots Sports Bar was among the businesses targeted Wednesday morning, as well as a pawn shop on Main Street.

No one was allowed inside the pawn shop while police were on scene, which concerned customers who owned items inside.

“It’s my car audio system. It’s worth a couple hundred dollars, well, $700 to be exact, and it’s only here for $80, so I’d like to get them back,” says customer Ken Steeves.

Police say more details about the seizures will be released on Thursday.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron