Two Durham officers arrested in drug investigation

Two Durham regional police officers are among five people charged in a drug investigation.

Police said the investigation started in the summer of 2016 in Ajax when they found out a bar was serving excessive alcohol and illegal drugs.

During the investigation it was determined that the two officers were associated with the owner of the Black Bear Bar and Grill, police said. It’s alleged that marijuana and cocaine were being sold at the bar.

Const. Husen Aswat, 32, and Const. Amandeep Thakur, 30, were arrested and are facing multiple charges – including trafficking cocaine and theft.

Both officers have been suspended from duty.

In a statement, Durham regional police chief Paul Martin called the charges “concerning and disappointing.”

“No one is above the law and every one of our employees is accountable for their actions,” he said.

“I want to assure the community that this is not a reflection of our women and men who work so hard every day to uphold the law and keep our communities safe.”

Rajalingam Varatharajan, 44, of Pickering, Kevin Chung, 34, of Toronto and Shaun Carter, 40, of Ajax were also arrested and are facing several charges including trafficking cocaine.

Anyone with new information about this investigation is asked to call Sgt. Walker of the DRPS Professional Standards Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 4366.

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