Law enforcement officials in Ontario seized 479 kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $47.9 million, and arrested nine people after a year-long investigation.
Criminals used commercial trucks to bring drugs across the U.S. border into the Greater Toronto Area, Peel Regional Police announced during a news conference.
The investigation, dubbed Project Pelican, led to the largest drug seizure in the police service’s history, Peel Regional Police chief Nishan Duraiappah said.
In June 2024, Peel police began investigating a cocaine smuggling operation using U.S.-Canada commercial trucking routes. By November, working with partners including the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Task Force in Detroit, multiple individuals, trucking companies, and storage sites linked to the operation were identified.
Between February and May 2025, information from Peel police lead to CBSA intercepting a commercial truck at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, which led to the seizure of 127 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the trailer and the arrest of the driver
Truck intercepted at border crossing
CBSA intercepted another truck at the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward, which led to the seizure of 50 kilograms of cocaine hidden within the trailer and the arrest of the driver, with support from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Additional seizures were also made across the GTA in connection with commercial trucking by Peel police, some of which included individuals in possession of loaded firearms at the time of arrest.
As of June 6, nine men were arrested and charged in connection with the investigation, totaling 35 charges related to firearm and drug offences.
They are Hao Tommy Huynh, 27, from Mississauga; Sajgith Yogendrarajah, 31, from Toronto; Manpreet Singh, 44, from Brampton; Philip Tep, 39, from Hamilton; Arvinder Powar, 29, from Brampton; Karamjit Singh, 36, from Caledon; Gurtej Singh, 36, from Caledon; Sartaj Singh, 27, from Cambridge; and Shiv Onkar Singh, 31, from Georgetown.
Police also seized two illegal loaded semi-automatic handguns. The accused were held for a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton.
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