Police have arrested three men on suspicion of importing the cocaine, two in May and one in July. New guide on alcohol consumption outlines limits for Canadians, Ron Jeremy in neurocognitive decline and unable to stand trial for rape, judge rules, Polar bear kills woman and boy in rampage through remote Alaskan village, Zellers is making a comeback in Canada this spring. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". With an estimated street value of $250 million, police said the investigation nicknamed Project Hope netted 1,062 kilograms of pure cocaine. Project Sindicato targeted the Figliomeni crime family which has links to Italys notorious Ndrangehta Mafia clan in Italy, York Regional Police announced Thursday. Thunder Bay's embattled police chief has resigned ahead of a hearing scheduled next month concerning allegations of misconduct. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Here are some of Canadas largest drug busts over the last 25 years, Read next: Here's where the GTA locations will be, New tricks leading to alarming rate of car thefts. There was enough of the substance to make a literal display wall. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Their operation involved hiding cocaine inside large stone boulders that were imported from Mexico and later from Brazil. The bust was a part of a police investigation nicknamed Project Hope. A 40-year-old northern Ontario resident accused of impaired driving is facing charges following a Highway 17 crash involving several vehicles in North Bay, police say. All The drug investigation, dubbed Project Icarus, started in October 2020 and has resulted in the seizure of 27 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of ecstasy, over 1000 kilograms of cannabis in bulk, edible, and resin form, one .40 caliber Glock handgun, one 9mm Glock handgun, prohibited magazines, and one 12 gauge shotgun and 1,100 rounds of ammunition. Whats old is new again Zellers is set to make a comeback across the country, including London. The Ontario Providential Police showed off the largest ever drug seizure of its nearly 110 year history. Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time. "They are high-level players in importation and selling tons of cocaine.". They were earlier convicted of running a sophisticated ring that moved two tonnes of cocaine into Ontario between 2011 and 2014. All rights reserved. The majority of those charged reside in Kitchener, Toronto and the GTA. Epp is a former teacher at Oakridge Secondary School in London, Ont. The OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes said, "This is a massive seizure, bigger than I've ever seen in my 33 years of policing.". ", "A seizure of this size, quite frankly, is going to save lives.". These sort of facilities and drugs promote violence, property crime and dangers to the community, Gabriel said. The court of appeal noted that the sentencing judge failed to take into consideration that Buffone and Kompon committed the offences in association with a criminal organization. Nova Scotia has announced extra resources to alleviate the pressure on strained emergency departments at a cost of 'tens of millions' of dollars, although an exact figure wasnt provided. Adam Carter is a Newfoundlander who now calls Toronto home. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. Updated June 22, 2021 9:49 a.m. PDT Published June 22, 2021 4:25 a.m. PDT Share TORONTO - Twenty people are facing rafts of charges each and more than $61 million worth of cocaine, crystal meth and. Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time. Gutting IRS Will Help Wealthy Avoid More Taxes | Opinion, Eliminating Income Tax Means More Money for Americans | Opinion, The US Is Being Flooded with Illegal Drugs by China, German Police Seize Drugs Shaped Like Donald Trump, People Are Getting High on Drugs for the Eclipse, Scientists Discover How Magic Mushrooms Make Psilocybin. The Crown appealed the pairs initial lower sentences, imposed at a 2017 trial. Ontario Police Seize $250 Million Worth Of Cocaine This bust happened back in 2017 and is still the largest drug bust in the history of the province. Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday. A wall of cocaine was put on display as the largest drug seizure in Ontario history was announced at Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) headquarters on Monday. The 1,062 kilograms (2341 lbs) of cocaine is said to be around 97 percent pure and is worth an estimated $60 million. Police estimate the street value of the seized drugs ismore than $61 million. Calgary city council has passed a bylaw introducing new regulations regarding single-use plastic items, including mandatory fees on eco-friendly alternatives. Freezing rain and treacherous driving conditions meant for a slippery drive to work for most commuters Tuesday. St. Thomas police . Police say that the investigation, dubbed Project Icar The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". A welcome email is on its way. Modified date: Thursday, May 9th 2019 - 2:53 pm. Toronto Police announced the largest single-day seizure of drugs in the force's history on Thursday, thanks to a pair of busts combining for a staggering 671 kilograms of drugs with a value of $58 million. Chatham-Kent police have arrested a suspect after break and enters at two local restaurants. Beach Drive is now open to the public in Wasaga Beach after the popular road was closed for several years. At the time of the arrests, the Sinaloa cartel was headed by Joaquin (El Chapo) Guzman. Police say that they also seized three firearms, including. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Photo provided by the Ontario Provincial Police. Please try again. Load At the time of their original sentencing, Buffone and Kompon were 53 and 46 years old, respectively. Market data provided by Factset. Prices for food items purchased from stores in Canada decreased slightly month to month in December, Statistics Canada says, but consumers continue to pay more for fresh vegetables, dairy products, and meats. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Once broken up and cut with cutting agents, or fillers, such as fentanyl, the 1,062 kilograms would yield between 2,122 and 3,183 of product for sale on the streets, Barnum said. Don Brennan's Closing Lines newsletter offers trustworthy insights into the sports betting game, The Closing Lines newsletter offers trustworthy insights into the sports betting game, Drug bust largest in Halton Regional Police's history, THEY'RE BAAAA-ACK! Yup, it was hidden in plain sight in a cornfield. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Karim-Altamirano is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 30. Read more: The world record for the longest-confirmed sniper kill has just been broken. A 41-year-old London woman, who cant be named because of a publication ban, has been charged with careless use of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a firearm knowing it is prohibited, possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition, possession of a controlled substance for trafficking and unlawfully produce substance. Cops boasted aboutthe feat of policing in a live-streamed Thursday morning press conference, officers outlining details of the busts in a room that appeared filled to the brim with bags of seized substances like a display of illicit chemical trophies. The two suspects still outstanding were identified as Scott McManus, 38 and William Nhan, 23, both of Toronto. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert bathroom blowout. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Calgary city council has passed a bylaw introducing new regulations regarding single-use plastic items, including mandatory fees on eco-friendly alternatives. In May, police executed 35 search warrants in Toronto and the GTA, Sarnia, London, Guelph, Kitchener, Montreal, Halifax, Surrey, Calgary and Winnipeg. The estimated street value of the drugs is. Please see our Commenting Policy for more. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Ana Antunes, 30, of Burlington, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance for trafficking. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. A serious crash involving a tractor-trailer hauling a load of logs has closed an intersection in Wellington County just southwest of Arthur. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Investigators say the six-month investigation, dubbed "Project Brisa," focused onan international drug-smuggling ring, which saw more than 1,000 kilograms of drugs including cocaine, crystal meth and pot being transported between Mexico, California and Canada using modified tractor trailers with hidden compartments. A wall of cocaine appears at a press conference in Orillia, Ont., on Aug. 28, 2018. Canada Seizes 1,000 Kilograms of Cocaine Worth $250 Million in One of Biggest-Ever Drug Busts. The investigation led to separate arrests of 12 individuals in Calabria, Italy, according to CTV News. Police found that the drugs were part of an intercontinental drug smuggling operation with ties to Mexican drug cartels. Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy, Stay up to date on the latest, breaking news, Police tape is shown in Toronto on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. ", "The drugs that were seized in the stash houses were destined for our neighbourhoods, [and] intercepting the flow of these drugs have prevented possible overdoses, which we all know is an epidemic facing our communities as we speak. We have dismantled the financial structure of this organized crime organization both here and in Italy., ITALIAN POLICE AND FBI RAID MAFIA IN SICILY WITH TIES TO GAMBINO FAMILY, Police raided 11 cafes in the Canadian city of Vaughan that housed illegal gaming operations. Until you provide a price point that is significantly lower, the illicit market does exist, and thats a reality.. Im extremely proud of the work done by all the officers involved. The cocaine seizure resulted in the arrests of three Toronto-area men in May and July. Ontario Provincial Police display a wall of cocaine behind a podium at a press conference in Orillia, Ont., on Aug. 28, 2017. Here's where the GTA locations will be, New tricks leading to alarming rate of car thefts. All rights reserved. . British Columbias only program that trains eye surgeons is at risk of losing its ability to prepare more specialist doctors, CTV News has learned. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. The Toronto Police Service has recovered the largest amount of illicit drugs in the force's history, seizing an estimated street value of almost $60 million. An Ontario man is struggling to get around while on vacation in Chile after Air Canada forgot his customized wheelchair in Toronto. October 24, 2022. Three men have been arrested, accused of importing 1,062 kilograms of pure cocaine. Toronto Drug Squad Acting Insp. The cocaine bust appears to be the largest since police seized a plane carrying around 3,000 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $1 billion, in 1992 following an air chase in Quebec. UBC regrets handling of Turpel-Lafond, as she loses honour at different university, Drinking too much? rights reserved. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. TORONTO - Police in Ontario have arrested five men and seized $5 million worth of illegal. (The Figliomeni crime family) has benefitted from generations of crime to live a glamorous and indulgent lifestyle at the expense of law-abiding citizens, Police Chief Eric Jolliffe said, according to the Toronto Sun. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. James Ferrier, 27, of Toronto, has been charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possession of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. Kitchener Fire said there were reports of people living under the building. Investigators allege the traps were built and installed by a 43-year-old British Columbia man who is one of those charged as part of the probe. An international operation titled Project Cobra led to one of the largest drug busts in Alberta's history. After a decade, Edmontonians will be able to shop at Zellers this year. Drugs seized as part of 'Project Brisa' are shown in a TPS handout image. A Winnipeg woman says a system crash at Shoppers Drug Mart has left her without her pain medication for two days. Mexican nationals Raul Bulhosen, of Toronto, and Borja Vilalta-Castellanos, of Mississauga, were earlier sentenced to prison terms of 18 and 17 years for their roles in the operation. Winnipeg has seen a sharp increase in the number of people admitted to the hospital with frostbite in the last year. Our members continue to demonstrate that if you choose to participate in organized crime in our region threatening the safety of our community, we will aggressively target you and arrest you.. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Zellers is returning to Canada. The various different police forces in Ontario have been doing a lot in recent years to fight against drug trafficking and it has resulted in some of the biggest drug busts in the history of the country. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Anthony Mason, 39, of Hamilton, is charged with possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking,, two counts of trafficking a controlled substance and possession of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.