York Regional Police seized 15 firearms and more than 1,400 grams of raw fentanyl following a months-long investigation into a drug trafficking ring in Georgina, Ont.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday morning, police say they launched their investigation, dubbed Project Madruga, in February.
Six adults were arrested after search warrants were conducted in April and May in Toronto and York Region. The accused range in age from 24 to 39 years old, and face a combined total of 53 charges.
In addition to the fentanyl, police say they seized 400 grams of cocaine, 70 grams of methamphetamines, 360 suspected opioid pills, more than 260 grams of illicit cannabis and more than $7,000 in Canadian cash.
In total, police say the monetary value of all the drugs seized is estimated at $215,000.
The joint forces investigation involved officers from the Toronto Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police.
“With the drug trade comes violence and drug traffickers, we know, will go to great lengths to keep their business going,” York Regional Police Deputy Chief Paulo Da Silva said Monday.
Det.-Sgt. Jason Marcoux said the investigation began after police received a tip from the public about a man who had been trafficking drugs in the region.
“That revealed other people that he was working with,” Marcoux told reporters.
Police said the alleged network of drug traffickers moved product from Toronto all the way up to Huntsville, Ont., but it is unclear where the drugs were manufactured.
Marcoux noted the small community of Georgina has never seen a drug trafficking probe of this size and scope.
“We are seeing more people sell fentanyl. There is obviously great profits in it,” he said.
