A major cross-border investigation has led to the seizure of nearly 1.7 tonnes of illegal drugs worth more than $139 million, according to a joint police news release.
Twenty-one people have been charged with 102 offences following Project Bay, a joint investigation involving police and border agencies in Canada and the United States, the release said.
This marks one of the most significant drug seizures in a single investigation in Ontario.
During a news conference Thursday in Windsor, Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said investigators uncovered what he described as a “broker-style” transportation model operating within the commercial trucking industry.
Milinovich said the network allegedly coordinated shipments and arranged for drivers to knowingly transport concealed drugs within otherwise legitimate commercial loads.
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“Organized crime does not respect borders, and as law enforcement, neither can we,” Milinovich added.
Police said officers executed 22 search warrants during the investigation, including raids at homes and businesses in the Ontario communities of Windsor, LaSalle, Corunna, Brampton, Kleinburg, Markham and Caledon.
Investigators seized 973 kilograms of suspected cocaine, 660 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, 49 kilograms of opium and 230 oxycodone tablets, police said.
They also recovered 17 firearms, including an anti-tank rifle, along with ammunition, prohibited weapons, about C$80,000, US$10,000, high-end jewellery, money counters, 43 cellphones, six laptops and a vehicle believed to be connected to the offences.
The investigation began in January 2025 after the Windsor Police Service launched a probe into suspected drug trafficking.
The Canada Border Services Agency joined the investigation a month later, helping investigators identify the cross-border trafficking network, according to police.
As the case expanded, Ontario Provincial Police joined other jurisdictions with support from U.S. agencies including Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Canada Border Services Agency said it has seized more than 200 firearms and 5,500 kilograms of illegal drugs at Southern Ontario land ports of entry so far this year.
Milinovich said investigators were able to trace some of the seized shipments back to the southwestern United States.
He said Mexico,” a well-known transshipment point for cocaine and a major producer of methamphetamine due to its access to precursor chemicals,” is part of the broader investigation.
Police say the investigation into the source of the drugs and the full scope of the trafficking network remains ongoing.
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