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After the drug cartel bust, Ontario Police made its biggest haul of fentanyl
Nearly 200 combined charges have been laid against the individuals who were arrested.
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Prabhjot Paul Singh - Thu, 12, Jun 2025
- 00:40 EDT
- 19
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Stock image. / Shutterstock
A wide crackdown on drug and narcotic smugglers has shown startling results as the police and other agencies, including the Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) and various police organizations, including Ontario Provincial Police, Peel Regional Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, have been constantly building pressure on drug cartels operating across international borders.
The Ontario Provincial Police has claimed that its latest swoop has not only led to the arrest of 20 people but also a record seizure of 43.5 kg of fentanyl through two-month-long investigations as a part of its Projects "Bionic" and "Golden".
Nearly 200 combined charges have been laid against the individuals who were arrested.
The Ontario Provincial Police claimed that it had been its largest seizure of fentanyl in the force's history through two major investigations. It confiscated the banned drug through two months-long investigations, Project Bionic and Project Golden, according to an OPP news release.
At a news conference in Orillia, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said the apprehended fentanyl amount was the equivalent of roughly 435,000 potentially lethal street-level doses.
"To put that in perspective, a population of 435,000 would be the fifth-largest urban population centre in the province of Ontario," said Carrique.
He, however, maintained that there was "no indication" that fentanyl was destined for the United States or any other country.
Fentanyl smuggling across the US border has been a contentious issue raised repeatedly by the US President, Donald Trump.
"I don't want us to be distracted by the narrative of fentanyl going from Canada into the U.S. and take away from the significant public safety concern around fentanyl," said Carrique.
He said that Project Golden spanned 11 months and involved a multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking network affecting communities across southwestern Ontario.
The investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately 38 kilograms of fentanyl, which provincial police said is OPP's largest fentanyl seizure to date. The estimated street value of the drugs seized is $5.4 million, police said.
OPP said 15 people from across southern Ontario were arrested in connection with that investigation. They are facing a combined 140 charges.
The other investigation, Project Bionic, spanned five months and aimed to dismantle an operation using a so-called "dark web marketplace" to ship drugs across Canada.
"This investigation into the use of the dark web for drug trafficking is a first of its kind for the OPP," said Carrique.
The investigation revealed that the dark web marketplace was used to order a supply of fentanyl. The drug would then be packaged and shipped to locations across Canada using various courier services and Canada Post.
On March 10, members from OPP's organized crime enforcement bureau arrested two individuals at a postal service location in Ottawa, where 86 packages were received containing various illicit drugs ready to be shipped across the country, police said.
On the same day, officers also raided three homes and searched a vehicle, seizing approximately $95,000, a gun and two stolen cars valued at more than $400,000, police said. Officers also seized large quantities of drugs valued at $2.5 million and several items used in car thefts.
In a second raid later that month, police recovered 11 stolen vehicles valued at $730,000.
Four of the 20 arrests were made in Ottawa. Those arrested were facing 85 charges in connection with that investigation.
Interestingly, there have also been significant contraband seizures at correctional centres in different parts of Canada.
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