21 including over a dozen of Indian origin face charges in US-Canada drug trafficking investigation
Toronto: Over a dozen suspects of Indian origin have been arrested as part of a cross-border investigation involving Canadian and American law enforcement, leading to the seizure of nearly 1.7 tonnes of illegal drugs with an estimated street value of approximately CA$ 139 million (USD$ 98.7 million).
In its announcement of the outcome of investigation, dubbed Project Bay, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said that the drugs seized included suspected cocaine, methamphetamine and opium “marking one of the most significant drug seizures in a single investigation in Ontario”.
It added that this “intelligence-led joint forces investigation” focused on “disrupting the importation and trafficking of illegal drugs with a nexus to the international border.”
Twenty-one suspects are facing 102 charges in connection with the investigation. They include Gagandeep Thindal, 27, Simranjit Singh, 32, Jatinderpal Singh, 39, Jasvinder Sohi, 55, Tejwinder Sandhu, 29, Tarminder Singh, 19, Gundeep Tariwal, 32, Mehakpreet Singh, 24, and Karandeep Singh, 27, all residents of Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as Kanwarpal Kular, 32, of LaSalle, Harjwinder Sandhu, 33, of Kitchener, Haninderpal Grewal, 34, of Barrie, and Avtar Sahota, 54, of Shelburne.
Project Bay’s genesis came in January last year when Windsor Police Service initiated a drug-trafficking investigation, which was joined by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) a month later. As the scope and complexity of the investigation expanded, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was also engaged. As it progressed, United States agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted with international aspects of the investigation, while the Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police provided operational and investigative support.
“The investigation revealed the use of a broker-style model within the commercial transportation sector. It leveraged established connections to facilitate the cross-border movement of illegal drugs, including the arrangement of drivers to knowingly transport illicit commodities within legitimate supply chains,” the OPP release said.
Multiple search warrants were executed, starting in late June and continuing into recent days.
The items seized included 973kg suspected cocaine, 660kg suspected methamphetamine, and 17 firearms, including an anti-tank rifle.
“The estimated street value of the drugs seized is more than CA$139 million, representing a significant disruption to the illegal drug supply chain in Ontario,” the statement noted.
“By removing more than a metric tonne of illegal drugs and multiple firearms from circulation, we have significantly disrupted the flow of harmful substances, prevented community harm and removed substantial profits from the criminal economy,” OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart said.