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Challenge Shearwater led to the seizure of $29 million in cocaine and $50,000 in money. (Picture: Ontario Provincial Police)
A mid-December raid in Mississauga was the primary of a number of throughout the Better Toronto Space that has led police to a “significant seizure” of some 300 kilograms of cocaine price $29 million and the bust-up of an alleged drug trafficking community.
4 males, amongst them a Mexican nationwide who was being sought by Canadian border officers, have been arrested and charged with 11 offences in reference to the Ontario Provincial Police-led investigation, which started final September and likewise resulted within the seizure of $50,000 in money.
A fifth man is on the run and being hunted by police, who mentioned the probe, dubbed Challenge Shearwater, was launched after investigators “became aware of high-level drug trafficking activity” throughout the GTA.
After almost three months of gathering intelligence, officers executed a search warrant on Dec. 13 at a house and on a automobile in Mississauga, OPP mentioned in a information launch on Monday.
On Jan. 16-17, members of the OPP-led provincial weapons and gangs enforcement workforce, with help from officers at Toronto and Durham police forces, executed 5 extra search warrants in Toronto, Ajax, Markham and Gravenhurst, about 185 kilometres north of Toronto.
One other 5 police searches of autos additionally occurred on these two days.
By the course of their investigation, police mentioned they seized 299 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated road worth of $29 million along with $50,000 in Canadian foreign money.
4 males are dealing with a rash of drug and different charges, together with a Mexican nationwide who was topic to an immigration warrant for removing issued by the Canada Border Providers Company.
Javier Luis Martinez Hernandez, 29, of London, is charged with possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime underneath $5,000 and possession for the aim of trafficking – cocaine.
Jason Tsang, 40, of Markham, Sajjad Wadiwalla, 42, of Ajax, and Philippe Payeur, 48, of Toronto, are every charged with:
conspiracy to commit an indictable offence — trafficking cocaine
trafficking cocaine
possession for the aim of trafficking cocaine
Some $50,000 in money was recovered through the police investigation.
Two of the accused stay in custody and are scheduled to seem in Toronto court docket at a later date.
In the meantime, an arrest warrant has been issued for Brian Nelson, 38, of Toronto, who’s needed for conspiracy to commit an indictable offence — trafficking cocaine.
OPP brass say they’re “committed to deterring, detecting and disrupting” felony exercise throughout Ontario.
“This quantity of cocaine is a significant seizure and is the result of excellent investigative work by dedicated members of the OPP and our partners,” mentioned OPP Chief Supt. Mike Stoddart, commander of the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau.
The OPP-led provincial weapons and gangs enforcement workforce is remitted to “disrupt criminal street gang activity through intelligence-led, multijurisdictional drug trafficking investigations and reduce the number of illegal firearms” in Ontario, police mentioned.
The unit works in partnership with numerous different regulation enforcement on either side of the Canada/U.S. border together with the RCMP and United States Division of Homeland Safety.
It’s comprised of members from 20 police companies in Ontario and Quebec.
Cocaine seized by police in Challenge Shearwater. (All photographs: Ontario Provincial Police)
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