Canadian law enforcement agencies have arrested and charged over two dozen people, including Indo-Canadians, in Ontario in connection with transnational drug trafficking.
Over 25 people have been arrested in Ontario in connection with the dismantling of an international drug trafficking network. It resulted in the seizure of 48 firearms, USD 730,000 in cash and USD 2.5 million worth of drugs - including heroin found at a children's indoor play centre, Canada's CP24 tweeted.
York Regional Police said they launched an investigation, named "Project Cheetah," into the drug network in May 2020 in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Peel Regional Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
In a news release issued on Monday, police said the "robust" international network extended to Western Canada, the United States and India, and involved importing large quantities of cocaine, ketamine, heroin and opium into Canada before distributing the drugs across the country "through a sophisticated system run by the traffickers."
On April 8, more than 50 search warrants were executed in Ontario, British Columbia and California in connection with the case.
Police have seized about USD 2.3 million worth of drugs, including 10 kilograms of cocaine, eight kilograms of ketamine, three kilograms of heroin and 2.5 kilograms of opium. Some of the heroin was found at an indoor play centre.
"Of particular concern when we look at heroin, a very insidious drug causing great harm to our community, a number of kilograms are alleged to be seized from a Playland in Brampton," York police Insp. Ryan Hogan said in a video statement. "So we can see not only the effects in the community but the real significant risk that it puts the children, some of the most vulnerable people in our community," he added.
"We know that in the drug trade, violence is common. The propensity for violence as a profit curve and illegal commodities we're seeing in the community on a regular basis, and these firearms are in fact lawfully possessed, lawfully possessed by this person who's now alleged to be facing numerous drug trafficking charges. So they've been seized as a result of a serious threat to public safety under provisions that are afforded to us by the Criminal Code," he further said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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