Mayor Rob Ford was not informed of a massive police raid that targeted an Etobicoke apartment complex linked to the drug allegations against him.
According to media reports, early Thursday morning 800 officers from several different police forces fanned out across Toronto and other locations across Southern Ontario, making 30 arrests related to suspected drug and gun activity.
A primary focus of the raids was a west Toronto apartment at 320 Dixon Road where it was previously reported that a video of Ford smoking crack cocaine was being stored. Residents of the building told reporters that officers had said they were there because of the mayor.
According to the Toronto Star, police also entered the Etobicoke home of Muhammad Khattak, one of three men pictured with Ford in a now infamous photo taken outside a house on Windsor Road that has also been linked to drug activity.
Arriving at City Hall on Thursday morning, Ford said he had not been briefed on the raids.
“My cable was out. I know as much as you guys know,” he told media waiting outside his office. “I got into the car this morning, reporters were at my house, I didn’t have a clue what they were talking about until I got into the car.”
He said he had not spoken with Chief Bill Blair about the raids, but the chief’s spokesperson had contacted his staff and spoke to them about the sweep.
The mayor said he was not concerned about being left out of the loop on such a large-scale operation and that he supports the force “a hundred per cent.”
“No I’m not upset. Police do their work all the time,” he said. “Police can’t come and call me all the time and saying we’re doing this and that. They got their business to do. It’s like me calling the police and telling them about what’s going on at council every day.”
Asked if he is being investigated by the police, Ford responded, “That’s news to me. They can investigate me all they want, I don’t do anything wrong.”
Chief Blair will hold a noontime press conference to update the public on the raids.
Mayor Ford has denied using crack-coaine and says that no video of him using the drug exists.
