This story compiled from articles in the Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette and Journal de Montreal

A one-year undercover investigation culminated in a dawn raid at Akwesasne yesterday.

The raid was carried out by 55 R.C.M.P. officers, along with officers from the Akwesasne police, U.S. Border Patrol, N.Y.S. police and the U.S. Customs Service.

The operation, dubbed Project Cambiste, netted almost 2,000 litres of alcohol, 900 kilos of tobacco and 4,300 cartons of cigarettes, worth about $450,000. Police also seized about $172,500 in cash.

Arrested were: Loran Thompson, Tina Thompson, Edward Roundpoint (Akwesasne), Dimitrios Asprakis (Laval, Quebec), Georges Leblanc and Suzanne Couture-Vallee (Ste-Agnes de Dundee).

Loran Thompson, described as a key warrior figure in the 1990 Oka crisis, is being charged with possession and distribution of tobacco products, cigarettes and alcohol.

Other charges, filed against the six, include conspiracy to illegally import tobacco products, cigarettes and alcohol.

Charges are being laid using a section of the Criminal Code section that removes immunity outside Canada if Canadian law is broken.

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of: Lincoln Roundpoint, Anthony Harquette, Joseph Roger Harquette and Fabian Hemlock (all from Akwesasne).