Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say they have arrested 22 people in connection with a months-long investigation into two Greater Toronto Area-based organized crime groups who were allegedly importing cocaine into Canada.
The OPP in collaboration with the Provincial Operations Intelligence Bureau (POIB), York Regional Police (YRP) and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began Project SOUTHAM in March 2020 after they became aware of overlapping investigations, Det. Insp. Jim Walker said in a press conference on Thursday.
“The linkage between these organized crime groups is based solely on the common members between the groups,” Walker said.
One of the groups were responsible for importing and trafficking cocaine from Colombia, Walker said. The group would conceal the cocaine in textiles for its shipment to Canada where a “clandestine laboratory” would be used to process the drugs into a “sellable state,” he continued.
The second group conspired to import cocaine from the Caribbean, as well conspiring in the exportation of illegal cannabis from Canada into the U.S., Walker said.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) helped investigators to seize 86 kilograms of cocaine being attempted to be imported by air from the Caribbean.
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“Despite restrictions at our borders and despite an ongoing global pandemic, organized crime continues to show blatant disregard for the law,” said OPP Deputy Commissioner Chuck Cox.
“Project Southam has displayed the number of varying commodities and illegal activities that these organized crime groups are involved in — from cocaine to cannabis, and other offences including phishing and mortgage fraud.”
On July 7, police executed 44 search warrants at 25 locations in Toronto and the surrounding GTA.
As a result of those warrants, investigators seized 92 kilograms of cocaine, 1 kilogram of methamphetamine, 249 kilograms of illicit cannabis along with $372,020 Canadian and seven vehicles as offence-related property among a slew of other things.
Walker said the street value of the drugs seized is an estimated $10 million.
Twenty-two people were also charged with 139 offences, Walker said, including conspiracy to import cocaine and trafficking cocaine.
Police said they also came across an individual who was allegedly involved with both groups and two other drug trafficking networks.
“The investigative team discovered this individual was operating an illegal steroid business as well as a clandestine laboratory producing GHB,” OPP said in a statement.
One man, 47-year-old Sukhjit Dhaliwal, remains outstanding and police said they have issued a warrant for his arrest. He is described as being five-foot-ten, weighing 98 kilograms with short grey hair and brown eyes.
“We would like all those involved in organized crime and drug trafficking to know that if you are bringing these commodities into our communities, we will investigate you, we will find you, we will prosecute you,” Walker said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
—With files from The Canadian Press
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