More than a dozen arrested in organized crime investigation in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Ontario
'It's going to involve drugs, guns, people, possibly human or sex trafficking'
More than a dozen people have been arrested in connection with an ongoing organized joint crime investigation in Manitoba, Ontario and B.C., Winnipeg police say.
Insp. Elton Hall said Winnipeggers should expect police activity across the city Wednesday, after "several high-risk search warrants" were executed for people accused of being involved in organized crime.
"It's going to involve drugs, guns, people, possibly human or sex trafficking," Hall said about the investigation at a news conference outside police headquarters.
Police spoke to the media after they received several calls from people in Winnipeg about the police activity.
"We weren't quiet about it this morning, let's put it that way," Hall said.
The organized crime unit started its operation around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, he said. More searches were done around 7 a.m., and another wave of warrants were executed later in the morning.
More than a dozen total warrants were executed by police services across the three provinces. All have been completed, Hall said.
"All of our targets are under arrest right now."
There was police activity in St. James and Sage Creek and officers blocked off several streets, Hall said. The tactical support unit was in those neighbourhoods because of the risk firearms were involved.
Police were also at an apartment block in the downtown Winnipeg area and another block in St. James.
The investigation involved police services in B.C. and Ontario, including Vancouver, Toronto, Hamilton, Peel and Halton police, and the Ontario Provincial Police, Hall said. The investigation, which started in spring 2023, is being led by Winnipeg police.
"These drug networks, organized crime figures operate everywhere, and they're all linked," he said.
No charges had been laid yet.
