Toronto police, numerous other forces, dismantle ‘violent street gang’ known as Eglinton West Crips

Toronto police, along with several other police forces across Ontario, say they dismantled “a violent street gang” in a year-long province-wide gun, gang, drug and human trafficking investigation.

The investigation, known as Project Sunder, included the Ontario Provincial Police, Waterloo, York, Peel, Durham and Thunder Bay police forces, and targeted the Eglinton West Crips gang, who police allege were responsible for crimes such as murder, attempted murder and human trafficking.

Over the course of the investigation, police said 141 search warrants were executed and the following were seized: 31 firearms, seven kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, two kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, along with other drugs and over $300,000 in Canadian money.

“What started as a local investigation into a dangerous street gang known as the Eglinton West Crips turned into a complex, multi-jurisdictional project involving arrests in 15 different cities,” said Deputy Chief Myron Demkiw in a release Thursday.

“Thanks to the cooperation of these other police services, we have been successful in dismantling this criminal organization and taking guns and drugs off the streets of many communities.”

In the end, police said over 114 people will face around 800 charges.

“Project Sunder represents an important piece to an effective police strategy to reduce violence and injury in our communities. Gun, gang, and drug activities carry rippling consequences for our communities without consideration to jurisdictional boundaries,” said Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich.