Toronto police say they have arrested six people and laid almost 150 charges in connection to an investigation into drugs and guns.
The investigation is connected to Project Sparta, which targeted the storage and distribution of cocaine and other substances. The results were announced in January 2019 and included the arrest of three men.
Police said since then, the investigation continued and has led to more seizures and arrests.
“You can see that this is the lifeblood of street-gang subculture,” Chief Mark Saunders said at a news conference in front of the cache of seized weapons and drugs.
“They’re in it for the money and any time we can disrupt that money we can deter more people wanting to get into the industry and also save lives.”
On Sept. 20, police executed 10 search warrants which resulted in the arrest of three men and one woman.
Nikki Knights, 32, was charged with 19 offences, including possession for the purpose of trafficking a schedule I substance (powder cocaine).
Jonathan Donde, 37, was charged with six offences which include several related to drug trafficking.
Lisa Korman-Shaw, 38, was charged with six offences related to drug trafficking among other things.
Marottama De Sousa, 30, was charged with four offences, including unauthorized possession of a firearm and other drug related offences.
During the searches, police said the following items were seized:
- Cocaine, 7.5 kgs
- Crack, 77 grams
- Marihuana, 8.3 kgs
- Xanax, 676 grams
- Fentanyl, 968 grams
- Ketamine, 2 grams
- One, 12-gauge shotgun
- 100 rounds, 9 mm ammunition
- $190,130 in Canadian currency
All four charged will appear in a Toronto court on Nov. 29.
In September, police said the drug squad began an investigation entitled Project Topside, which looked into the distribution of illicit substances and firearms in Toronto and the surrounding GTA.
Project Topside resulted in six warrants in both Toronto and Markham. Police said two men were arrested.
Imran Maragh, 31, was charged with 57 offences related to firearm possession and drug possession, including fentanyl, for the purpose of trafficking.
Kadean Maragh, 28, was charged with 55 offences related to firearm possession and drug possession, including cocaine and heroine, for the purpose of trafficking.
Both are scheduled to appear in a Toronto court on Nov. 13
Police said, a third man named Nicholas Reid, 27, of Markham, is wanted. Police released his photo Wednesday.
In the searches, police seized a number of firearms, including multiple semi-automatic handguns and 1,259 grams of fentanyl and 3,698 grams of powder cocaine among other drugs.
Furthermore, in a third investigation which police said was separate from Project Topside, the drug squad was targeting the sale of cocaine on the streets.
On Nov. 2, three warrants were executed in the Lake Shore Boulevard West and Park Lawn area and one man was arrested.
Ramin Karimi, 36, was charged with possession for the purpose of cocaine.
Police said, officers allegedly seized six kilograms of powder cocaine, which carries a value of approximately $600,000.
Karimi is scheduled to appear in a Toronto court Dec. 20.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-6100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.
–With files from The Canadian Press
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