$90 mn contraband seized in Greater Toronto Area

Chandigarh, November 18

Canadian Police have dismantled a major drug trafficking network operating in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), culminating in what authorities are calling the “single largest seizure of crystal methamphetamine and powdered cocaine in the service’s history.”

The operation, dubbed Project Finito, spanned a rigorous 3.5-month investigation into a substantial drug importation and distribution network.

News reports said Toronto police officials disclosed in a press conference that a staggering 551 kg of cocaine and 441 kg of crystal methamphetamine were confiscated, amounting to an estimated street value of $90 million.

Superintendent Steve Watts, head of the Organised Crime Enforcement unit, emphasised the profound impact the seized drugs would have had on communities in and around Toronto.

The investigation unveiled that the illicit substances, earmarked for distribution on the streets of Toronto and beyond, had entered Canada from the United States. A total of seven arrests were made in connection with the case with all suspects identified as residents of the GTA. According to Watts, those apprehended were allegedly operating in crucial roles within the drug trafficking network, holding positions of high responsibility.

Among the charged individuals are 20-year-old Camron Longmore and 25-year-old Zubayul Hoque from Ajax, both accused of various drug-related offences. Etobicoke residents Bryan Sherritt, 37, and Abubakar Mohamed, 30, face charges related to drug possession and conspiracy. Tenzin Palden, 25, of Mississauga, also faces charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Two men, Bashir Hasan Abdi, 34, and Lucho Loder, 43, have been arrested, with Abdi facing trafficking charges and Loder facing charges related to trafficking, conspiracy and possession of proceeds of crime.

The police also seized one firearm, one vehicle and $95,000 in Canadian currency. While two suspects remain in custody, five others have been granted bail, underscoring the significant strides made by law enforcement in dismantling this drug trafficking network.