Latest news with #JoshEwatski
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Dozens of firearms, $60K in drugs seized in Manitoba bust
Firearms seized as part of Project Quarry are seen at a news conference at the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters in Winnipeg, Man., on June 12, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) A joint investigation involving the Winnipeg Police Service and Manitoba RCMP led to the arrest of five people and the seizure of cocaine and guns. Project Quarry, an investigation into cocaine and firearm trafficking in Manitoba, started in November 2024. Between March 17 and 19, 2025, search warrants were executed in Winnipeg, Stonewall, and the R.M. of Rockwood, resulting in the seizure of 30 firearms and $60,000 worth of cocaine and the opioid hydromorphone. 'It's always concerning when we seize this many firearms, especially from one location and easily accessible by people involved with gangs,' said Insp. Josh Ewatski with the Winnipeg Police Service's organized crime division. project quarry Insp. Josh Ewatski with the Winnipeg Police Service's organized crime division reveals details from Project Quarry at a news conference at the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters on June 12, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) Two men from Stonewall, one man from Rockwood, and two women from Winnipeg were taken into custody and charged with a combined 53 offences, none of which have been tested in court. All five were previously known to police, Ewatski said, calling the group a 'mid-level' operation due to the number of firearms seized. Some of the guns were reported stolen, while others were smuggled into Canada from the United States, Ewatski said. Accessories, like silencers and devices to convert guns to fire automatically, were also seized. Winnipeg police said the investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are expected.
CBC
12-03-2025
- CBC
Illicit drugs, currency, firearms seized in Winnipeg following drug-trafficking investigation
A network of drug traffickers transported a large quantity of illicit drugs and firearms to Winnipeg from Toronto, Winnipeg police say. Mail services, commercial airplanes, trains, off-road vehicles and boats as well as cars and trucks with hidden compartments were used to transport the drugs, Insp. Josh Ewatski of the Winnipeg Police Service's organized crime unit told reporters on Wednesday. The drugs were distributed throughout Manitoba, including Winnipeg, Portage la Prairie, Thompson and Sandy Bay First Nation, Ewatski said. The drug traffickers also targeted northern communities, including Norway House Cree Nation, Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Nelson House Cree Nation and The Pas. "These individuals were profiting off of these communities by selling cocaine, methamphetamine, hydromorphone and MDMA [ecstasy]," Ewatski said. On Jan. 31, Winnipeg police issued multiple search warrants following a nine-month investigation dubbed Project Lowkey. Manitoba RCMP, Manitoba First Nations Police Service, and police in Saskatoon, Vancouver and Toronto assisted in the investigation. So far, nine people have been arrested and face charges, including a 25-year-old man from Winnipeg and a 19-year-old man from Sandy Bay First Nation who were among those arrested in the province. Both have been charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Police are still searching for five people for their alleged involvement in the drug trafficking network, Ewatski said. Police have seized seven loaded firearms, various types of ammunition, cocaine, methamphetamine, hydromorphone pills, drug packaging materials, Canadian currency and three vehicles.
