Bust of alleged criminal drug network nets 14 arrests, millions in drugs, jewelry, guns and vehicles
Couriers, railways, bus lines and airlines used to move items, police allege
Police allege a "well-entrenched" criminal network, responsible for multiple firearms offences across the country, trafficked millions of dollars worth of illicit drugs and firearms into Winnipeg from Toronto.
The network used couriers, railways, bus lines and airlines to move the items, Insp. Elton Hall of the Winnipeg Police Service's organized crime unit alleged at a news conference on Wednesday.
So far, 14 people have been charged with offences related to organized crime, drug trafficking, possession of firearms, proceeds of crime and laundering proceeds of crime.
Of those, nine are from Winnipeg, two from Vancouver and three from Ontario.
Several others were arrested and released without charges, but investigations are continuing and charges are expected to be laid against many of those people, all of whom are in Winnipeg, Hall said.
The investigation started after police seized more than $600,000 in cash from luggage at Winnipeg's airport in March 2022.
It expanded to the other provinces a year later and eventually led to 22 searches in a sweep through Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia in March 2024.
The following items were seized:
- $1.7 million in Canadian cash.
- 30 kilograms of cocaine (police-estimated street value of $3 million).
- Four handguns (including two that were 3D printed).
- One submachine gun with a suppressor.
- Loaded magazines and ammunition.
- 75 kilograms of cutting agent.
- Hydraulic cocaine press/moulds.
- 12 vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce valued at $450,000, four Mercedes, two BMWs and a Lexus. (Three of the vehicles had custom-made concealment compartments.)
- A Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
- Approximately $4 million in proceeds of crime — jewelry, vehicles and merchandise.
"We are currently investigating the opportunity to claw back a $200,000 deposit for a Lamborghini," Hall said.
Investigators also allege the network was involved in sex trafficking, extortion and fraud-related offences.
"This aspect of the investigation is ongoing."
Hall said he couldn't discuss those matters at the moment.
"When you conduct an organized crime investigation or an investigation involving these networks of people across the country, as soon as you start following money and watching where money is going and how it's being transferred, and the amounts being transferred, you can quickly determine that you probably have a problem here with A) human trafficking or B) sex trafficking, and you have to look into it further," he said.
"This is a high-level overview of a very complex financial and criminal investigation."
Hall said multiple police services and agencies were involved in the investigation, dubbed Soft Landing.
Those included the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), Brandon Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, Hamilton Police Service, Peel Regional Police Service, Toronto Police Service, Halton Regional Police Service, Vancouver Police Service, Via Rail Canada Police Service and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.
Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the province provided $230,000 to support the investigation.
"[Criminal networks] bring havoc, they bring harm, they bring toxic drugs to our communities, and they must be stopped," he said.
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