Skip to main content

Northern police find more than $100K in SUV suspected in Hwy. 17 shooting

An Ontario Provincial Police cruiser with its lights flashing is pictured - File Image. (OPP_CR/Twitter) An Ontario Provincial Police cruiser with its lights flashing is pictured - File Image. (OPP_CR/Twitter)
Share

A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

The East Algoma detachment received a weapons complaint involving a white SUV after shots were allegedly fired from the vehicle at another unknown vehicle on the highway west of Iron Bridge, Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release Friday.

The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. Sept. 18 and the white SUV fled the scene heading east.

Officers with the Manitoulin detachment saw the suspect vehicle near the Town of Massey, about 95 kilometres away.

Around 3:45 p.m., OPP and Anishinabek Police Services arrested the driver and passenger during a "high-risk" takedown.

"Both individuals and the vehicle were searched with police seizing Canadian currency in the amount of $272 from the driver, $3,000 from the passenger and $100,000 in the vehicle, three cellphones, a small amount of cannabis marijuana, drug paraphernalia as well as the SUV," OPP said.

The driver is charged with driving a vehicle with cannabis readily available and failing to comply with a release order other than to attend court.

He was remanded following a bail hearing in Espanola on Thursday.

"The investigation is continuing," OPP said.

"Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to please contact the East Algoma OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or saultcrimestoppers.com, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000."

Members of the OPP emergency response team searched for evidence along the highway between Iron Bridge and Thessalon and were not able to find a firearm, Const. Bev Gauthier told CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca in an email.

"No gun was in the vehicle," Gauthier said.

"(It is) unknown at this time who was the shooter."

The passenger was released without charges, she said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Stay Connected