TORONTO

The rival Toronto gangs targetted in raids Wednesday are highly organized crime groups thought to be responsible for numerous shootings, including several murders, Toronto Police alleged Thursday.

A pile of firearms, drugs and cash seized during the year-long, joint-forces operations dubbed Projects RX and Battery were put on display at police headquarters, painting a menacing picture of the Asian Assassinz and Sic Thugs.

“These are two criminal organizations whose main business is guns and drugs,” Insp. Gord Sneddon alleged.

And in the process of trafficking guns and drugs, he claims members of the gangs were “quite prepared to resort to extreme acts of violence.”

While all street gangs are prone to violence, Sneddon said some groups are more dangerous than others.

“What makes this investigation different is the willingness and the amount of activity, both in the drug and the gun trade, but also the willingness to resort to violence at the drop of a hat,” he said.

Sneddon alleged the murders of Thuan “Tony” Nguyen, 25, who was gunned down at the Vy Vy nightclub in February 2013, and Byron Linares, 27, who was killed in an apartment near Yonge St. and Sheppard Ave. last June have “a direct connection with the Asian Assassinz.”

Alleged Asian Assassinz member Michael Nguyen, 23, was also executed outside Yorkdale Mall over Easter weekend last year. And another suspected member, a man, 24, was wounded in that shooting.

The Asian Assassinz, rooted in the Vanauley Walk neighbourhood near Spadina and Dundas St. W., are also thought to be tied to a shooting a year ago at Joey restaurant in Yorkdale Mall.

One man was hurt in that incident as gunfire pierced the restaurant’s window from outside.

The frightening 2012 shooting in the Eaton Centre, which killed two and wounded five others including a 13-year-old boy, is thought to be the results of a feud between Sic Thugs members.

Two members of the Regent Park-based gang — Ahmed Hassan, 24, and Nixon “Nix” Nirmalendran, 22 — were killed in that shooting and a third member, Christopher Husbands, 23, faces charges as the alleged gunman.

Police are looking at other shootings as well for possible connections to the gangs and will be testing the dozens of firearms seized during Projects RX and Battery to determine if any were used to commit crimes.

Sneddon said the body count could have been higher had cops not intervened over the last year.

“Shootings have occurred while the investigation has been underway and I can tell you that at different points in the investigation we had to take action and steps to disrupt future acts of violence,” he said, adding “several people were saved from injury.”

The projects culminated in pre-dawn raids at more than 50 residences Wednesday.

Over 50 arrests were made in the raids, but Sneddon said 94 people in all have been busted throughout the operations.

Police said they have also seized more than 30 firearms, 1,100 rounds of ammunition, eights sets of body armour, more than $350,000 in cash and an assortment of drugs, including crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, ketamine, MDMA, hashish and fentanyl.

Special Const. Bruce Finn, acting senior firearms officer, said most of the guns seized serve only two obvious purposes.

“These are manufactured, in my view, for personal defence ... or wreaking havoc on the criminal community,” he said.

Click here for a mobile-friendly link.