Six arrested, 2.7 kilos cocaine seized in massive drug bust in Sudbury, GTA

Ontario's guns and gangs team says with the help of police in Sudbury and Durham, it has disrupted a large drug trafficking operation, seizing 2.7 kilograms of cocaine and arresting six.

Approximately 2.7 kilos of cocaine seized in joint police forces drug bust in Sudbury and the Greater Toronto Area. (Ontario Provincial Police)

A joint investigation between the provincial guns and gangs unit and Greater Sudbury Police Service began in August 2022 looking into alleged drug dealing between the Greater Toronto Area and Sudbury, Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release Friday morning.

Raids were executed March 29 in Sudbury, Toronto and Ajax resulting in the seizure of a large quantity of cocaine, nearly 300 grams of fentanyl, a loaded nine millimetre magazine, more than $97,000 in cash and $1,000 in counterfeit money, police said.

Kaitlyn Dunn, a Sudbury police spokesperson, told CTV News in an email the estimated street value of the drugs is $302,200.

Red fentanyl seized in joint forces drug bust in Sudbury and Greater Toronto Area. (Ontario Provincial Police)

Four people from Ajax, one from Alfred and one person from Pickering ranging in age from 27 to 30 years old were arrested without incident.

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They are all charged with drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Four of the accused also face additional charges including proceeds of crime, having a prohibited device, counterfeit money and trafficking in a controlled substance.

"All of the accused were held in custody and are scheduled to appear for bail hearings today (Friday) before the Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury," OPP said.

Det. Insp. Lee Fulford said drug trafficking impacts every community in the province.

"Working together, with partners such as the Greater Sudbury Police Service, is the only way to ensure the dangerous drugs are kept off the streets, with the traffickers being held accountable," Fulford said.

Det. Insp. Jerry Willmott, of the Sudbury police, said these kinds of investigations and drug seizures save lives.

"The arrest of these six individuals is a testament that we will not stand for drugs to be infiltrated into our communities. I applaud the hardworking investigators who worked tirelessly on this investigation for their steadfast commitment to removing drugs off our streets," Willmott said.

"The OPP-led Provincial Joint Forces Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team is comprised of twenty-three municipal, provincial and federal law enforcement agencies who co-operatively work to enhance public safety and effectively disrupt street gang networks and their associated criminal activities," OPP said.

Earlier this month, a man accused of drug trafficking was found dead in a suspicious fire at a log cabin about two-and-a-half hours west of Sudbury.

This comes just two months after the guns and gangs unit seized more than three kilos of cocaine in Thunder Bay.

There is no indication that any of these cases are related.