An Oakville man has been arrested by York police in a dark web operation that uncovered millions of dollars in illegal drugs, cash, and luxury items.
Pui Yan Lai, 42, from Oakville, along with four others from Mississauga, Toronto, Vaughan, and Brampton were taken into custody during the lengthy investigation.
Lai faces charges for “Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence.”
Project Ghostwire was spearheaded by York police’s Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement Unit in collaboration with the Cybercrime Unit and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario.
The investigation focused on the online sale and distribution of controlled substances via the dark web and other encrypted messaging platforms.
According to York police, the dark web is a “concealed portion of the internet that is not indexed by conventional search engines and is generally accessed through specialized browsers.”
Investigators found a high-volume dark web seller offering cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances available for purchase in amounts ranging from street-level quantities to bulk orders up to one kilogram.
The vendor accepted cryptocurrency payments and communicated with buyers through private messages on dark web platforms. Authorities discovered that drugs were packaged and sent using legitimate mail services.
Officers tracked down members of the distribution network and pinpointed several addresses linked to their inquiry.
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On February 20 of this year, investigators carried out multiple search warrants at various locations including a residence in Mississauga that was central to the daily operations of the online drug distribution network.
Police confiscated more than 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl in both pill and powder forms; they estimate this amount could lead to around 48,000 potentially fatal doses.
In addition to that, officers seized 5.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 3.5 kilograms of cocaine, 4.5 kilograms of ketamine, 700 grams of heroin, 5.4 kilograms of MDMA, 205 grams of crack cocaine, over 1,100 tabs of LSD, 11,800 Xanax pills, 290 oxycodone pills and 110 hydromorphone pills.
The total estimated street value for all seized drugs stands at about $3 million.
Authorities also recovered a carbine assault rifle along with ammunition; approximately $200,000 worth of cryptocurrency; $200,000 in Canadian cash; and over $1 million worth of assets obtained through criminal activities including high-end cars and luxury watches.
If you have any information related to this case please reach out to the York Regional Police Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement Unit at 1-866-876-5423 x7817.
If you wish to provide tips anonymously you can contact Crime Stoppers of York Region online or at 1-800-222-TIPS.
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