A one-month, street-level drug investigation dubbed Project Escape has resulted in 76 people being charged with more than 200 drug-related offences.

The investigation began after numerous residents and business owners throughout the downtown's west end complained to police, Det. Karen Chapman told a news conference this morning.

Specifically, pockets near King St. W and Dufferin St., King St. W and Strachan Ave., Dundas St. W and Spadina Ave., Queen St. W and Lansdowne Ave. and parts of Kensington were targeted.

"Those areas are well known for street-level drug activity," said Chapman. "But if you were to grab a coffee and go sit on the corner, you would probably not even necessarily know what you were watching."

Investigators from the 14 Division plainclothes unit and members of the drug squad seized more than $17,000 in cash and quantities of cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy and OxyContin, among other drugs.

The majority of charges laid were trafficking, possession of illegal substances, possession of proceeds of crime and bail violations.