Peel police seize 11 firearms in drug trafficking investigation

Peel police arrested five people, including a mother and two sons, and seized 11 firearms after an investigation into a group suspected of drug trafficking in Peel Region and across the GTA. 

The seized firearms, which were on display during an announcement Monday, "represent a carjacking, a home invasion, armed robberies, and multiple firearms offences that would have plagued the GTA and Peel Region," Chief Nishan Duraiappah said. 

Police began investigating the group after a traffic stop by a uniformed officer, Det-Sgt. Chris Fiore said during Monday's announcement. A 20-year-old man from Brampton was charged with various firearms offences and was held pending a bail hearing, he said. 

After a follow-up investigation, his brother, 22, and mother, 61, also from Brampton, were charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a prohibited device. 

Both were released with a future court date, Fiore said. 

Police say another 20-year-old man from Brampton faces several firearms charges and has been charged with possession of proceeds of crime. He was held in custody pending a bail hearing, Fiore said. 

A 21-year-old man from Brampton has also been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and failure to comply with a release order. Fiore said he has been released with a future court date. 

Seized firearms include a submachine gun, police say

Police say they executed search warrants at three residences in Brampton, one residence in Waterloo and a storage facility in Caledon, Ont. They seized 11 firearms, including assault rifles, handguns and a submachine gun, as well as over 900 rounds of ammunition. 

Four of the firearms originated in the United States and five originated in Canada, Fiore said. The remaining two could not be traced due to serial number issues, he said. 

Approximately 200 grams of cocaine and twenty grams of opium were seized, as well as 80 oxycodone pills and 100 unknown pills that were sent for testing, Fiore said. 

Nearly 160 charges were laid in total, police said in a news release Monday. 

More shootings in Peel in 2024 than previous years: chief

Duraiappah said Peel police seize an illegal firearm about every 30 hours. He said the increased availability of firearms has "saturated" the community. 

He said Peel police have seized more firearms so far in 2024 than in any previous years. There have also been more shootings this year compared to previous years, he said. 

The majority of illegal firearms are smuggled into Ontario through criminal networks, Duraiappah said. About 90 per cent of the seized firearms are directly traced back to the U.S. 

Police need additional resourcing and support for police investigative efforts on the streets, he said. Partnerships with U.S. intelligence agencies should be strengthened, he said.