Eleven people have been arrested in connection with a high-level, interprovincial cocaine trafficking network as part of an investigation called “Project Gold Dust,” Winnipeg police said Wednesday.
The investigation, which began in May of last year, was headed up by the police service’s organized crime unit, with assistance from the crime analysis, guns and gangs, drug enforcement, affiant, tactical support, canine, uniform operations, and community support units.
Police from Brandon, Vancouver and Manitoba RCMP were also involved.
Throughout the investigation, police learned of a group of local drug traffickers who called themselves ‘The Company’ and were allegedly importing large quantities of cocaine into Winnipeg from British Columbia and distributing it through a sophisticated network, sending large sums of money back to B.C.
On Feb. 10, raids involving 144 police officers in three cities across two provinces led to the arrests of nine Winnipeggers and two men from B.C. — one from Surrey and one from Vancouver — and a wide range of drug trafficking-related charges.
A twelfth suspect — a woman from Winnipeg — was also arrested but not charged, police said.
Among the contraband seized by police in Manitoba were 17 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of $1.7 million, three ounces of ecstasy, and 21 pounds of cannabis.
Two million dollars in cash, $107,000 in cryptocurrency, and $270,000 worth of Rolex watches and jewelry were also seized, as well as drug paraphernalia including scales, packing and sealing material, and more.
Police in Manitoba also seized 41 cell phones, 21 computers, four firearms and ammunition, as well as a dozen vehicles with a total value of $230,000, and multiple properties with a value of more than $4 million.
Their B.C. counterparts seized $700,000 in cash, 23 grams of cocaine, four vehicles, and two residential properties.
Across the two provinces, the combined value of seized cash, assets, and proceeds of crime totaled over $11 million.