More than a dozen people have been arrested and $7 million in cocaine and meth were seized as part of an investigation into an interprovincial drug network, Winnipeg police said Friday.
The investigation, dubbed Project Onyx, tracked large amounts of cocaine, meth, and MDMA being shipped to Manitoba from Ontario and British Columbia.
Police said they searched 11 homes across the province and two businesses in Winnipeg, plus a dozen vehicles, as part of the case. Their eventual seizure included 50 kg of cocaine and 20 kg of meth.
In addition to the drugs, police seized $500,000 in cash, as well as vehicles and guns, and are reviewing the seizure of several properties.
Insp. Elton Hall of the organized crime division and justice minister Kelvin Goertzen spoke about Project Onyx Friday morning from police headquarters.
“We know the high cost of addiction — that cost is not measured always in dollars, it’s measured in lost lives, broken families, broken hearts,” Goertzen said.
“(It’s important to ensure) those who are profiting from that misery by importing and selling illegal drugs… face criminal charges, face civil penalties and know that their actions are going to have significant consequences.”
Those arrested — and police say further charges are anticipated — are facing dozens of charges between them, and include Manitobans from Winnipeg, Niverville, and Springfield, as well as suspects from Coquitlam, B.C., and Toronto.