Drugs seized by Toronto Police in a recent drug bust.
Two Etobicoke men are among seven people charged in what Toronto Police say is their largest drug seizure in the force’s 189-year history.
Undercover officers during a three-and-a-half month operation, dubbed Project Finito, seized 992 kilograms of drugs, which included 551 kilos of cocaine and 441 kilos of crystal methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $90 million.
Detectives also seized a firearm, a vehicle and about $95,100 in Canadian currency.
Superintendent Steve Watts, of Organized Crime Enforcement, alleged the suspects were runners in a drug ring who were each moving a large amount of drugs.
Police display some of the drugs seized from traffickers.
“They were more high-level runners,” Watts said at a press conference at Toronto Police Headquarters on November 17. “The drugs were crossing the border by land crossings from the U.S. to Canada and beyond.”
He said the drugs ended up in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, which are some of the large distribution areas and from these cities the drugs were sent across Canada.
He said much of the cocaine is mixed with fentanyl to form ‘street-level’ drug cocktails.
The drugs were smuggled into Canada through many land border crossings.
“The cocaine is mixed with fentanyl and other drugs for more toxicity,” Watts said. “This is the largest seizure we have seen and it is extremely significant.”
He said the seizure led an increase in the price of cocaine on the streets of Toronto.
“This seizure will have a great impact on community safety,” Watts said. “It will lead to less people overdosing on the streets.”
Officers on the trail of drug traffickers peddling their deadly goods, which lead to overdoses.
Police accused the suspects of being involved in a sophisticated network that distributed large volumes of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine in the GTA.
The arrests stemmed from nine search warrants that were issued to search homes, businesses and vehicles in the GTA.
Charged are Bryan Sherritt, 37, Abubakar Mohamed, 30, both of Etobicoke, Bashir Hasan Abdi, 34, Lucho Loder, 43, both of Toronto, Tenzin Palden, 25, of Mississauga, Camron Longmore, 20 and Zubayul Hoque, 25, both of Ajax.
They have been charged with about 19 drug-related offences; including possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking, trafficking, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000.
The suspects are slated to appear at an Ontario Court of Justice on November 20 and 27.
Five of the accused were released on bail.