A record $37.2 million worth of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl was taken off Canadian streets after a provincial drug seizureaccording to Winnipeg police.
The operation, dubbed Project Puma by the services involved, was described as a “success” by Manitoba Justice Minister and Attorney General Matt Wiebe, who praised the joint effort at a news conference Wednesday.
Thirty-three people were arrested and a total of 174 charges were filed nationwide as part of the project. This led to the seizure of 339 kilograms of methamphetamine, 175 kilograms of cocaine, 11.25 kilograms of fentanyl, as well as a number of unidentified pills, according to a Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) news release from that day.
Among those arrested were “key” players in the drug world, as well as lower-level individuals, police said.
“Criminal networks no longer operate in silos. They collaborate with rivals, operate across jurisdictions, adapt quickly and rely on complex supply chains, making it impossible for any single agency to combat this threat alone,” Insp. Josh Ewatski of the WPS organized crime division told reporters at police headquarters.
He added that Project Puma involved coordinated enforcement and undercover operations in which officers bought large quantities of drugs.
In addition to the kilograms of illegal substances, police seized 12 pistols, a shotgun and a carbine pistol, according to the KPS.
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Officers also seized seven vehicles, about $825,000 in cash and 1.35 million illegal cigarettes, according to police. That number of illegal cigarettes would have seen about $400,000 in taxes unpaid if they were sold, Ewatski said.
More than a dozen firearms were seized by police as a result of this multi-year investigation, WPS said.
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Seven of the people facing charges pleaded guilty and were sentenced. The sentences ranged from three to 16 years, Ewatski said.
Some of those arrested were said to be “connected” to larger criminal organizations, including the Hells Angels, the Wolfpack Alliance gang and unidentified Mexican cartels, the inspector alleged.
“A lot of this investigation, and the charges that were filed, are still before the courts. So, I can’t comment too deeply on specific groups,” Ewatski added.
The drugs were said to be traveling across provincial and national borders. They were imported from the US via commercial vehicles and stored in Ontario and Alberta. From there, they were mailed or couriered or packed in and sent in a vehicle to Manitoba, he explained.
“The rate of seizures of methamphetamine and cocaine is particularly significant, highlighting the volume of harmful substances being trafficked across provincial borders,” said Task Force Sgt. of the Ontario Provincial Police, Andy Bradford.
“The seizure of these drugs, along with a significant amount of cash and numerous illegal firearms, represents a significant disruption to organized crime networks and their ability to cause harm.”
The arrests were made in parts of the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area, including in Brantford, as well as in the northwestern Ontario community of Kenora, where it borders Manitoba, the OPP officer said.
In Alberta, an Edmonton woman was arrested after Parkland RCMP tracked her cellphone and spotted her driving toward Calgary and Manitoba.
“At that point, the case went from a localized investigation to one that requires interprovincial and interagency coordination,” said Insp. Kevin McGillivray of the Parkland detachment of the Alberta RCMP.
The southern Alberta detachment came into contact with the WPS. Both forces monitored the woman until she was pulled over for a traffic stop and then arrested, in Winnipeg, he said.
“No single agency could have achieved this result alone,” McGillivray added.
He hailed the combined efforts and their expected effects as the forces disrupted the manufacturing and trafficking process.
The arrests were made during this two-year investigation, according to Ewatski, who said most occurred in recent months.
Two people from Brantford, Ont., Randy Chao and Tyler DeFelice, are wanted on conspiracy-related charges related to Project Puma, WPS said.
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