A Hamilton Police officer is among dozens of people charged in the guns and gangs investigation called “Project Pharaoh,” Toronto police revealed Friday.

Toronto police said they have dismantled the Monstarz gang, which operated in the city’s northwest and was allegedly involved in at least eight homicides.

Officer Craig Ruthowsky, 41, of Hamilton has been charged with breach of trust, conspiracy to traffic cocaine, participating in a criminal organization and commission of an indictable offence for a criminal organization.

He has been suspended with pay from Hamilton police service since June 2012 on charges of obstruction of justice and breach of trust. Those criminal charges were dropped more than a year ago, but he remains in custody and suspended pending Police Services Act charges, the Hamilton Spectator reports.

“We all get a little disappointed when one of our brothers gets involved in an investigation like this, but we don’t treat him any differently than any other person,” said Insp. Bryan Bott in reference to Ruthowsky.

Bott said that the hardest part was to “continue our investigation without compromising it.” As a result, Hamilton Police were not involved.

Ruthowsky is a 16-year veteran of the police service.

Acting Chief of Police Jim Ramer (who is in charge while Chief of Police Mark Saunders is away) said the Monstarz operated primarily within the Rexdale community. Police allege that gang members had been involved in 44 incidents of violence within the community since May 2011.

Much of the violence allegedly occurred during a gang war between the Monstarz and the Jamestown gang.

Ramer said on May 30, 2014, a gunman opened fire on an apartment complex on Mt. Olive Dr. wounding three people while children played nearby. One of the victims was driven to Etobicoke General Hospital by a friend, according to police, where the friend was then also shot upon exiting the hospital. The windows of the hospital emergency centre were shattered by bullets, resulting in Etobicoke General Hospital and Sunnybrook Hospital being locked down for several hours, said police.

According to Bott, no charges were laid in this incident due to lack of evidence and witness participation.

Bott said that the Monstarz have been involved in potentially eight homicides during their back-and-forth with their rival the Jamestown gang — the most recent incident being the shooting of Travis Tash, 22, in 2014 on Upper Canada Dr.

Police also allege that the death of Neeko Mitchell, 25, killed outside a Rexdale community centre using high-velocity rounds in 2013 is a result of the street-gang rivalry.

Through the entirety of Project Pharaoh, Bott said more than 60 people have been arrested and 93 warrants executed. The total street value of drugs seized is $3.8 million. Police have also seized 14 firearms, about $196,000, roughly $1,800 U.S. and five vehicles.

Forty-five people were to be charged later Friday on 379 counts in connection to the raids.

The pre-dawn raids on Thursday executed 50 search warrants against Monstarz — a criminal organization described as particularly violent by police.

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The operation was a combined police effort between the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force and the OPP’s Provincial Weapons Unit. It also included the Toronto police major crime task force, drug squad, intelligence firearms enforcement unit and cybercrime unit.