Hundreds of charges laid after Ontario police bust group accused of smuggling guns, fentanyl
A nearly ten-months long investigation by multiple Ontario police services has resulted in more than 400 charges laid on a group of 22 individuals accused of smuggling guns and drugs over the Canadian-U.S. border.
York Regional Police Insp. Ahmad Salhia said the effort began with a person under investigation for drug trafficking in London, Ont. in October 2021.
According to police, it then spread to include allegations of a gun smuggling ring where firearms were brought across the Canada-U.S. border through Walpole Island First Nation land west of Wallaceburg, Ont.
Salhia said, at its narrowest point, the St. Clair River that separates Walpole Island First Nation from Port Huron, Michigan, is less than one kilometre wide.
He would not say what method was used to get the guns across the river, but added that an incident involving guns attached to a drone found in nearby Lambton County in late April is not related to this investigation.
Officers from the Ontario Provincial Police, London police, York police, and Peel police said they built their case and then raided 22 homes and two businesses on July 28.
Twenty-seven hand guns, all believed to be from the U.S., and a quantity of drugs, including nine kilograms of cocaine, 1.9 kilograms of fentanyl and 20,000 Xanax pills were allegedly found, and 22 people were taken into custody.
Salhia said some of the fentanyl was pressed “to appear like candy – a car a butterfly or a number of other things.”
Fentanyl made to look like candy is shown in a YRP handout image.
If someone was to consume such an item “the outcome would most certainly be fatal,” he said.
Officers also seized 17 over-capacity magazines for the handguns and 300 rounds of ammunition.
The accused parties range in age from their 20s to 67-years-old, police said. Combined they are facing more than 400 criminal code offences.
An analysis found 20 of the guns seized were from the U.S., including places such as Florida, Ohio and Michigan.
Assorted handguns and magazines are seen in a handout image from YRP.
“We believe that the balance of those firearms, the seven remaining, will also be traced to the U.S.,” Salhia said.
Police commended the work of the Walpole Island First Nation, both its band council and police service, with helping them intercept and track the suspects.
Walpole Island First Nation Chief Charles Sampson said his community could be of even more assistance in stopping the cross-border gun trade if it was adequately resourced.
“Our police service is terribly underfunded – we only have nine to eleven officers in the field and we have to protect an international border between Canada and the United States,” he said. “We have one boat, but we need a whole marine division to do our job effectively.”
He urged the provincial and federal governments to give his community more money to beef up its law enforcement capabilities.
“We desperately need adequate funding to get this job done.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.