Police say they have dismantled a drug ring in the Toronto area that was allegedly importing cocaine from Colombia and the Caribbean, some of which was hidden in textiles as it was smuggled into the country.
Ontario Provincial Police say a 15-month investigation, dubbed Project Southam, has led to 22 arrests after a series of raids last week.
The force says it worked with border guards, the RCMP, York regional police and the U.S.’s Drug Enforcement Administration on the probe that included the seizure of cocaine coming in on aircraft from the Caribbean.
Police say they found nearly 100 kilograms of cocaine, 255 kilograms of cannabis, nearly $400,000 dollars in cash and seven vehicles over the course of their investigation.
They say they identified two alleged organized crime groups during the probe, one that purportedly imported and trafficked cocaine from Colombia that was hidden in textiles and another that conspired to import cocaine from the Caribbean.
“Despite restrictions at our borders and despite an ongoing global pandemic, organized crime continues to show blatant disregard for the law,” OPP deputy commissioner Chuck Cox said in a statement on Thursday.
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