$12M worth of illicit drugs linked to Mississauga, Brampton taken off streets: police

Peel Regional Police say $12 million worth of illegal drugs — linked to Mississauga and Brampton — have been taken off the streets.

“That’s 90 kilograms of a variety of drugs, particularly synthetic opioids,” said Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich at a news conference on Tuesday. He also said synthetic opioids require a higher dose of naloxone to prevent a fatal overdose.

The investigation, dubbed “Project Warrior,” began in June 2021 when large amounts of narcotics were being trafficked in the Greater Toronto Area with strong ties to Mississauga and Brampton.

Police said multiple different types of drugs were seized such as:

• 40 kilograms of Benzimidazole Isotonitazene (asynthetic opioid comparable to fentanyl).
• 7 kilograms of Fentanyl.
• 16.6 kilograms of MDMA.
• 12.9 kilograms Methamphetamine.
• 3.7 kilograms of Cocaine.
• 10.7 kilograms of Xanax.
• 120 grams of Psilocybin.

Search warrants were executed at several locations including a storage facility in Concord, a location in Etobicoke, another location in North York, and a location in Kleinburg, police said.

Investigators said they identified various methods for storing, transporting and supplying illegal drugs.

In connection to the investigation several men were arrested and charged.

Quang-Thai Ho, 38, and Quan-Binh Ho, 37, are each facing three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Phi Ho, 35, has been charged with seven counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of breaching recognizance.

Iman Pazirandeh, 30, is facing three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking as well as possession of a controlled substance.

‘We are facing an opioid crisis,’ peel police

“It’s 12 million dollars of a potentially lethal drug that is no longer on the street,” Milinovich told reporters Tuesday. “It’s no longer available for trafficking. It’s no longer available to be shared with people with health issues. So that is a really, really important piece in our strategy.”

Milinovich there were 191 fatal overdoses in 2021, up from 186 reported in 2020 across Peel Region. He said 88 per cent of fatal overdoses in 2021 were caused by opioids, up by 11 per cent the year prior.

He also added that 78 per cent of all deaths in 2021 were due to fentanyl toxicity, up by 14 per cent from 2020.

By July 31 of this year there have been 71 drug-related fatal overdoses so far, Milinovich said.

“The data consistently shows that in Peel and across the province, that we are facing an opioid crisis,” Milinovich said.