2 separate drug busts lead to 6 arrests by police in Cambridge
In one investigation, officers used a warrant to search a residential property and commercial business in Cambridge's Preston neighbourhood.
Police seized a variety of items, including a sawed-off shotgun, replica handguns and suspected fentanyl.
It was part of a larger investigation by Waterloo Regional Police Service's (WRPS) Offender Management Unit, which has been investigating the trafficking of controlled substances in the region since the beginning of January.
A 37-year-old Cambridge woman was arrested and charged with possession of a Schedule 1 Substance. She is scheduled to appear in court on March 10.
A 44-year-old man from Cambridge was also arrested and charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
The man is a federal parolee and he has also been charged with two counts of possession of a firearm or weapon contrary to a prohibition order.
He is in police custody for a bail hearing.
4 others charged in separate drug bust
In the second drug bust Thursday, WRPS charged four men after searching four residences and one commercial business in Cambridge.
Investigators found drugs, including suspected cocaine and fentanyl. They also seized some Canadian currency.
This investigation was completed as part of a four-month-long drug trafficking investigation.
A 25-year-old, a 20-year-old, and two 19-year-old men have been arrested. All four people are from Cambridge.
They have been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and other court order charges.
The four men are currently in police custody for a bail hearing.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Man, woman seriously injured after shooting in King West
Officers have not commented on what caused the shooting only saying that there is an ongoing investigation. Arlyn McAdorey The Canadian Pres
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
App could help cyclists in Waterloo Region reunite with stolen bikes
Waterloo Regional Police have announced a new partnership to combat bike thefts. CTV's Krista Simpson explains how it will help. Waterloo Regional Police have announced a new partnership to combat bike thefts. CTV's Krista Simpson explains how it will help. Cyclists in Waterloo Region are being encouraged to download an app in hopes they might be able to find their bicycles if they are stolen. The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) is launching a partnership with Project 529, a program designed to combat bike thefts. Some cycling enthusiasts have been part of the program for months now, but the police are jumping on board in the hopes of reuniting more people with their stolen property. 'We've had it with our membership for the past six months,' Janice Jim, vice president of Cycle Waterloo Region, explained. 'Now that the Waterloo Regional Police are on board, we think that it will get more usage in the community.' How it works Cyclists can register their bicycles on the app by uploading their email, some basic information and a few photos. 'Take about five pictures of your bike,' Rob Brunt, former police officer and chief outreach officer with Project 529, said. 'The side of the bike, you with the bike, try to find your serial number, anything unique on your bicycle – if you have a leather Brooks saddle, anything like that, get a picture of that.' Brunt said one of the most powerful tools in the program is a sticker that is known as a 'shield.' It's a tamper-resistant marking that is coded to each registration. 'It has seven characters that are unique to your bicycle. It's not impossible to get off, but it's a son-of-a-gun to get off,' Brunt said. Project 529 shield A cyclist affixes a Project 529 'shield' sticker to a bicycle in Kitchener, Ont. on Aug. 7, 2025. (Krista Simpson/CTV News) In the event that a bike goes missing or is stolen, users can go to the app or and report the bike as missing. 'You pull out the app, and you can hit start alert and everybody's going to get like an Amber Alert about your bicycle – everybody within 15 km on the app. The cops are going to get it, bike stores get it, the cycling community gets it,' Brunt said. Users can also share that page with a wider audience if they choose to do so. A missing bike poster will be generated that can be printed off and posted in nearby neighbourhoods. If account holders choose to do so, they can share details about the theft with local police agencies, such as WRPS. If the bike is found, the owner will get a notification on their account. The service is free. Brunt does caution that users should not try to take justice into their own hands when they encounter a potentially stolen bicycle. 'This is not a program for vigilantes. No bicycle is worth getting injured for. That's why you pay taxes and that's what police are for.' Getting cyclists involved WRPS held a registration clinic along the Hydrocut Trail in Kitchener on Thursday afternoon, educating cyclists about the program. WRPS Const. John Heaton said in the past, part of the problem with bike thefts is even proving the bicycle has been stolen. 'Now, with Project 529, we have access to that registry and it will really simplify the connection between that stolen bike and its actual owner,' he told CTV News on Thursday. He added there can be a sense of resignation when a cyclist discovers their bike is missing. 'I've had a few people get emotional when I return their bikes because it means something to people,' Heaton said. He added some people don't even report their bicycle as stolen because they believe it is a futile effort. But Thursday's registration event is offering a new sense of hope. 'We're hoping this is just going to spread. Hopefully these people tell 10 people, and those people tell 10 people and we can just get the word out and the cycling community can start looking after themselves as well. That's the cool thing about Project 529 – it's a cyclist community program and we're just tying in on the back end as police. We're just going to use it as a tool to help cyclist communities,' Heaton said. The program is already running in other Canadian cities, and Brunt said the change it is making is obvious. 'In Vancouver, our first year, bike theft went down 30 per cent,' Brunt said. 'You don't see double digits in property theft crime go down like that. When we looked at the metrics, we weren't arresting more people, they weren't staying in custody longer, the shield was acting like a deterrent. Like an ADT symbol for your bicycle. Now, 10 years later, Vancouver is down 70 per cent.'
Vancouver Sun
9 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Judge who gave reduced sentence to Black man due to his race criticized by Quebec's anti-racism minister
MONTREAL — A Quebec minister responsible for fighting racism is criticizing a ruling by a judge who reduced a convicted Black man's sentence due to systemic discrimination. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Christopher Skeete said that someone's race should not be a factor affecting sentencing for a crime. 'I question whether or not as a society this is exactly where we want to go,' the minister said. 'Do we really want to formalize discrimination in the attribution of sentences for people who perpetrate crimes?' Skeete was reacting to a Quebec court ruling by Judge Magali Lepage, who sentenced Frank Paris, 52, to a two-year sentence in late July, after he pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking cannabis and hashish. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Paris's lawyer, Andrew Galliano, said the Crown had initially pushed for a four-year sentence in a case heard in Longueuil, near Montreal. Because he got credit for time served, Paris has already been released, his lawyer said. 'It was surreal to have him walk into my office the next day and to be able to shake his hand and congratulate him, because it took courage from him too,' said Galliano. The lawyer said he argued for a reduced sentence after submitting a report that described his client's background as an intergenerational survivor of slavery. Though he was raised in Montreal, Paris's mother was from Nova Scotia, and he often spent his summers in a town in the central part of the Atlantic province, where 'these traumas continue to be felt and experienced in the education, housing, employment, health and justice systems,' the report noted. The report described how Paris faced racial discrimination multiple times, including an incident when he was wrongfully detained in a holding cell for immigrants despite being a Canadian citizen. Galliano said this type of report is commonly used in criminal proceedings in provinces like Nova Scotia where the courts have recognized the impacts of systemic racism. 'Quebec is far behind,' the lawyer said. 'And that's what I pleaded to the judge.' Skeete, who initially described the sentence on social media as a 'sad first for Quebec,' said he wanted to initiate a public debate about the matter. The minister added he respects the independence of courts in Quebec. 'What we're trying to do is to correct the historical wrong, but the problem is we're creating new injustices, and we're creating two types of citizens: one that is racialized and one that isn't,' Skeete told The Canadian Press. 'The fight against racism has always been one about equality under the law, yet here, we're actually well intentioned but creating inequality,' he added. 'I don't think that creating more inequality is the solution to the problem.' Montreal defence lawyer Sharon Sandiford played an advisory role in the case. She said the minister appears to have misconceptions about what kind of instructions sentencing judges must adhere to. 'What the judge did in Mr. Paris's case was to apply exactly what the case law has required her to apply,' Sandiford said. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
