BRAMPRON: The Canada Police of Peel Region have seized more than $25 million worth of narcotics following a months-long investigation into a criminal group that allegedly used commercial trucks to import drugs across the border from USA.
Police released details of “Project Zucaritas” on Wednesday, saying a total of 383 kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine, and ketamine had been seized.
Police said 182 kilograms of methamphetamine, 186 kilograms of cocaine and 38 kilograms of ketamine had been sized during the investigation. Scott said roughly $70,000 was also seized.
The estimated street value of the drugs is worth $25.25 million, marking it the largest drug seizure in the force’s history.
Those arrested by Police have been identified as Khalilullah Amin, 46, from Caledon has been charged with two counts of trafficking in controlled substances, Jaspreet Singh, 28, from Brampton has been charged with one count of trafficking in a controlled substance and one count of possession of property obtained by crime,
Wray Ip, 27, from Richmond Hill has been charged with four counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking,
Ravinder Boparai, 27, from Mississauga has been charged with one count of possession of property obtained by crime, and one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking and Gurdeep Gakhal, 38, from Caledon has been charged with one count of trafficking in a controlled substance.
“A business identified as North King Logistics, located on 50 Steeles Avenue in Milton, has been identified as a commercial trucking business used to transport and distribute illegal drugs,” Scott said.
“A second business, Friend Furniture located at 2835 Argentia Road in Mississauga, has also been identified as a transfer hub through the investigation,” he added.
“What you see here before you serves as more evidence of our collective commitment towards erasing organized crime and the type of organized crime which targets our communities,” Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said at a press conference at Peel police headquarters in Mississauga.
“It is a priority for our service, our community, and we will not tolerate criminals who profit by preying on people in our community and using those profits to finance other criminal activities.”
“Project Zucaritas” began in November 2021 to investigate a trafficking ring that extended across the Greater Toronto Area into the United States.
Through their 11-month investigation, police said they learned about a large drug trafficking group that used commercial businesses to transport illegal drugs into the GTA.
Scott said the drugs were imported over the U.S-Canada border using commercial trucks. He said illegal narcotics were located in the rear of these commercial tractor trailers and concealed within legitimate loads of goods.
To dismantle the group, Peel police's Specialized Enforcement Bureau collaborated with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit and Chicago and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force in Buffalo.