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15 charged after RCMP drug trafficking probe uncovers ties to cartels

HALIFAX – RCMP say they have charged 15 people following a two-year drug trafficking investigation that uncovered ties to Colombian and Mexican cartels.

The Mounties said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon that Operation Harrington began in 2013. It covered cocaine that was being imported into Canada from counties including Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and the United States.

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Nine of the 15 suspects are in custody while arrest warrants for the other six have been issued. All together, they are facing 45 charges.

The people facing charges are:

  • Steven Tello, 35, from Toronto — four counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, two counts of trafficking cocaine.
  • Mathew Thomas Fleming, 35, from Maple, ON — four counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, one count of trafficking cocaine and one count of trafficking in firearms.
  • Gary Christopher Meister, 60, from Bedford, N.S. — two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, two counts of conspiracy to traffic cocaine.
  • Michael Costa, 30, from Vaughan, ON — one count of conspiracy to import cocaine, one count of trafficking cocaine.
  • Philipos Kollaros, 35, from Montreal — two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, two counts of conspiracy to traffic cocaine.
  • Bayon David Figueoa Escobar, 36, from Montreal — one count of trafficking cocaine
  • Stephen Alexander Fleming, 33, from Halifax — one count of conspiracy to import cocaine, one count of conspiracy to traffic cocaine
  • Delbert William Meister, 69, from Halifax — two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, two counts of conspiracy to traffic cocaine
  • Darlene Margaret Richards, 54, from Greenwood, N.S. — two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, two counts of conspiracy to traffic cocaine
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Arrest warrants have been issued for the following people facing charges:

  • Bassam Kassel Elouta, 35, from Richmond Hill, ON — one count of conspiracy to import cocaine.
  • Ryan James Wedding, 33, from Montreal — two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, two counts of conspiracy to traffic cocaine, one count of trafficking in cocaine.
  • Normand Joseph Pomerleau, 64, from Montreal — one count of conspiracy to import cocaine, one count of conspiracy to traffic cocaine.
  • Michael Charles Dibben, 60, from Montreal — two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine.
  • Edouard Semmikian, 61, from Montreal — one count of conspiracy to import cocaine.
  • Alyas Rahimi, 28, from Toronto — one count of conspiracy to import cocaine.

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Police also seized firearms, vehicles, cash and more than 200 kilograms of cocaine during the operation.

With files from Rebecca Lau, Global News

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