A joint investigation between the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Windsor Police Service has resulted in the largest fentanyl seizure in OPP history, according to authorities.
The record-breaking amount of fentanyl seized was 46 kilograms, which is estimated to be worth $6.5 million.
“This operation has a direct impact on the City of Windsor. Removing this volume of fentanyl from our streets saves lives,” said Windsor police deputy chief Jason Crowley.
A 25-year-old Windsor, Ont. man, Nicholas Kong, is facing 27 charges, while a 28-year-old Joshua Aguirre from Vancouver is facing 29 charges, according to police.
They say the initial investigation began in the fall of 2024. The OPP’s Provincial Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team (PGNG) and Windsor police identified two primary members of a drug trafficking network, both with ties to known criminal organizations.
The OPP, PGNG and WPS then advanced the investigation, known as “Project Rotherham,” leading to the record-breaking seizure.
On Sept. 25, three residential search warrants and three search warrants on vehicles were executed in Windsor by members from:
- OPP PGNG
- WPS Drugs and Gun Unit
- Border Enforcement Security Task Force
- Essex County OPP Community Street Crime Unit
- Essex County OPP Detachment
- OPP Tactics and Rescue Unit
- OPP Emergency Response Team
- OPP and WPS Canine Units
Evidence gathered through these search warrants led to the execution of another warrant at a residence in Windsor, police said.
As a result of the investigation, the following items with approximate quantities were seized:
- 46 kg suspected fentanyl
- 3.4 kg suspected cocaine
- 1 kg suspected heroin
- Two loaded firearms and ammunition
- 4,500 hydromorphone tablets
- 190 oxycodone tablets
- 360 morphine tablets
- 470 benzodiazepine tablets
- 35 amphetamine tablets
- Over 181 kg caffeine, often used as a cutting agent when processing illicit drugs
- A collapsable baton
- Body armour
- Master key vehicle programmer and blank keys
- More than $170,000 CAD currency
- $220 US currency
- High-end jewellery
- 24 cell phones
- Digital scales and other drug paraphernalia
“The seizure of more than 20 cellular devices in this investigation highlights the need to urgently address dated lawful access legislation to protect Canadians from criminal networks trafficking fentanyl,” said OPP commissioner Thomas Carrique.
Illicit fentanyl can be imported from other source countries or domestically produced with precursor chemicals in clandestine laboratories. The investigation into the source of the illicit fentanyl in “Project Rotherham” is ongoing.
Police said the fentanyl seized was enough for approximately 460,000 street-level doses, based on a dose of one point (0.1 grams) of fentanyl.
Police said analysis shows the fentanyl seized through this investigation had been mixed and cut with other substances and was not pure fentanyl, meaning it varied in potency, which has been taken into consideration when estimating street-level doses.
