Latest news with #ProjectBIONIC
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Ottawa Citizen
OPP dismantle ‘dark web' drug trafficking operation; four in Ottawa arrested
Article content Ontario Provincial Police announced Tuesday the seizure of more than 27 kilograms and thousands of tablets of 37 different illegal drugs and prescription medication destined to be shipped across Canada through courier services and Canada Post. Article content Through the new intelligence-led investigation, Project BIONIC began in November 2024 and aimed to dismantle a 'dark web marketplace' where orders of drugs were placed and shipped across Canada. Article content Article content Article content On March 10, OPP officers from the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau arrested two individuals at a Canada Post location in Ottawa and seized 86 packages of drugs. Article content Article content That same day, OPP served four search warrants at one vehicle and three residences in Gloucester and Nepean. Officers seized weapons, ammunition, $95,000 in currency, a stolen Ferrari valued at $400,000 and an estimated value of $2.5 million in illegal drugs, including fentanyl, ketamine and MDMA, also known as Ecstasy. Article content On March 27, police conducted another search and recovered 11 more stolen vehicles with an estimated combined worth of $730,000. It was unclear exactly where these vehicles were recovered. Article content Four individuals were arrested and charged in connection with the investigation: Article content Amr Hammami, 26, of Ottawa: 54 total charges; remanded into custody with a scheduled court appearance June 10 in Ottawa; Hulya Colak, 24, of Ottawa: 29 total charges; remanded into custody with a scheduled court appearance June 23 in Ottawa; Khashayar Nazemi, 26, of Ottawa; one charge of trafficking; released from custody with a June 10 court appearance in Ottawa; Cole Dale Shouldice, 31, of Ottawa: one charge of possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000; released from custody with a June 27 court appearance in Ottawa.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Dark web drug bust nets thousands of pills, $400K Ferrari
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say they've dismantled a drug marketplace that operated on the dark web, seizing 27 kilograms of illegal drugs, thousands of dollars in cash and other items including a $400,000 Ferrari. Calling the intelligence-led investigation a first of its kind, OPP launched Project BIONIC in November. The operation was "aimed at dismantling an operation that used a dark web marketplace to ship a high volume of drugs" to numerous locations across Canada, according to an OPP news release issued Tuesday. On March 10, officers from the OPP's organized crime enforcement bureau arrested two suspects at a Canada Post outlet in Ottawa and seized 86 packages "containing various drugs ready to be shipped to addresses across Canada." The same day, officers from various OPP units carried out search warrants at three homes and one vehicle in Ottawa, seizing various amounts of suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine, MDMA, heroin, cocaine and other drugs in various forms. OPP estimate the street value of the seized drugs at $2.5 million. Officers also seized a handgun with an extended magazine, about $95,000 in cash, electronic devices including reprogrammable key fobs, and a 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider "valued at more than $400,000." 2nd raid nets 11 stolen vehicles A subsequent raid on March 27 yielded 11 stolen vehicles including Toyota Highlanders, Sequoias and Tundras, as well as a Lexus RX. OPP estimate the total value of the vehicles at $730,000. Four suspects, all from Ottawa and all in their 20s or early 30s, are facing a combined 85 criminal and drug charges including trafficking, possession and firearm offences. OPP describe the dark web as "a hidden portion of the internet … [that] requires special software to access," and say dark web marketplaces "enable the exchange of various illicit items, including stolen credentials, drugs and hacking tools." In the news release, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique praised the operation for exposing "the alarming volume of dangerous drugs being sold through dark web marketplaces, with packages shipped across the country." The arrests "show that law enforcement can track and stop even the most complex online trafficking operations," and the investigation "plainly demonstrates the connections between drug trafficking and other crimes, such auto theft and illegal firearms," Carrique said. Alongside Project BIONIC, OPP announced the separate Project GOLDEN Tuesday. That southwest Ontario investigation, according to police, took 11 months, brought in a haul including 38 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and led to 140 charges against 15 people.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Dark web drug bust nets thousands of pills, $400K Ferrari
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say they've dismantled a drug marketplace that operated on the dark web, seizing 27 kilograms of illegal drugs, thousands of dollars in cash and other items including a $400,000 Ferrari. Calling the intelligence-led investigation a first of its kind, OPP launched Project BIONIC in November. The operation was "aimed at dismantling an operation that used a dark web marketplace to ship a high volume of drugs" to numerous locations across Canada, according to an OPP news release issued Tuesday. On March 10, officers from the OPP's organized crime enforcement bureau arrested two suspects at a Canada Post outlet in Ottawa and seized 86 packages "containing various drugs ready to be shipped to addresses across Canada." The same day, officers from various OPP units carried out search warrants at three homes and one vehicle in Ottawa, seizing various amounts of suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine, MDMA, heroin, cocaine and other drugs in various forms. OPP estimate the street value of the seized drugs at $2.5 million. Officers also seized a handgun with an extended magazine, about $95,000 in cash, electronic devices including reprogrammable key fobs, and a 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider "valued at more than $400,000." 2nd raid nets 11 stolen vehicles A subsequent raid on March 27 yielded 11 stolen vehicles including Toyota Highlanders, Sequoias and Tundras, as well as a Lexus RX. OPP estimate the total value of the vehicles at $730,000. Four suspects, all from Ottawa and all in their 20s or early 30s, are facing a combined 85 criminal and drug charges including trafficking, possession and firearm offences. OPP describe the dark web as "a hidden portion of the internet … [that] requires special software to access," and say dark web marketplaces "enable the exchange of various illicit items, including stolen credentials, drugs and hacking tools." In the news release, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique praised the operation for exposing "the alarming volume of dangerous drugs being sold through dark web marketplaces, with packages shipped across the country." The arrests "show that law enforcement can track and stop even the most complex online trafficking operations," and the investigation "plainly demonstrates the connections between drug trafficking and other crimes, such auto theft and illegal firearms," Carrique said. Alongside Project BIONIC, OPP announced the separate Project GOLDEN Tuesday. That southwest Ontario investigation, according to police, took 11 months, brought in a haul including 38 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and led to 140 charges against 15 people.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
86 packages containing drugs seized at Canada Post location in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police say 86 packages containing drugs intended to be shipped across Canada were seized at a Canada Post location in Ottawa on March 10, 2025 as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Ontario Provincial Police say dozens of packages containing drugs that were set to be shipped across Canada were seized at a Canada Post location in Ottawa as part of a massive drug investigation. The OPP say the investigation, dubbed 'Project BIONIC,' resulted in the seizure of more than 27 kilograms and 64,000 tablets of 37 different illegal drugs and prescription medications, including fentanyl, hydromorphone, methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA, destined to be shipped across Canada through various courier services and Canada Post. Police say the investigation began in November 2024 into drug trafficking on the dark web — an anonymous version of the internet that is only accessible with specific software, which is not indexed by traditional search engines like Google. Orders for drugs were placed through these private digital connections and shipped to at least seven provinces and one territory, the OPP said. Expand Autoplay 1 of 11 Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa Fentanyl seized as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa Pills seized as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa MDMA seized as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa MDMA seized as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa Currency seized as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa A firearm seized as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa A stolen 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider convertible valued at more than $400,000 seized as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa Stolen vehicles seized as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa Reprogrammable key fobs seized as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) OPP seizure Canada Post Ontario Provincial Police say 86 packages containing drugs intended to be shipped across Canada were seized at a Canada Post location in Ottawa on March 10, 2025 as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa Ontario Provincial Police seized a large quantity of drugs and found a dozen stolen vehicles as part of a major investigation in Ottawa dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) On March 10, police arrested two people at a Canada Post location in Ottawa and seized 86 packages containing drugs, the OPP said in a news release. That same day, police searched three homes and one vehicle in Gloucester and Nepean, seizing a handgun with an extended magazine and ammunition, a stolen 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider convertible, fraudulent licence plates, reprogrammable key fobs and other electronic devices and $95,000 in cash. OPP say the following drugs were seized, worth an estimated 'street value' of $2.5 million: Approximately 5.5 kg of suspected fentanyl Approximately 7.6 kg of suspected methamphetamine Approximately 3.7 kg of suspected MDMA powder Approximately 2 kg of suspected heroin Approximately 1.8 kg of suspected cocaine Approximately 1.4 kg of suspected ketamine Approximately 5.8 kg of cannabis resin (hash) More than 47,955 hydromorphone tablets More than 6,580 methylphenidate tablets More than 3,175 morphine tablets More than 2,395 suspected MDMA tablets More than 1,785 oxycodone tablets More than 40 fentanyl patches Approximately 35 g of suspected black tar heroin More than 40 steroid liquid vials More than 715 pregabalin tablets Approximately 590 g of dried cannabis A large quantity of other prescription medications On March 27, another search warrant execution resulted in the seizure of 11 stolen vehicles, including two Toyota Highlanders, three Toyota Sequoias, five Toyota Tundras and one Lexus RX. 'Project BIONIC exposed the alarming volume of dangerous drugs being sold through dark web marketplaces, with packages shipped across the country,' OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a news release. 'These arrests show that law enforcement can track and stop even the most complex online trafficking operations. This investigation also plainly demonstrates the connections between drug trafficking and other crimes, such auto theft and illegal firearms. This seizure is a major step in dismantling drug networks - whether online or on the street - and reflects the OPP's ongoing commitment to public safety.' Project BIONIC results in major drug bust in Ottawa Ontario Provincial Police seized a large quantity of drugs and found a dozen stolen vehicles as part of a major investigation in Ottawa dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Four Ottawa residents have been charged with a combined 85 offences contrary to the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Project BIONIC was part of two separate investigations led by the OPP into drug trafficking in the province. The second, dubbed 'Project GOLDEN,' was executed primarily in southwestern Ontario. In total, police say these investigations resulted in the seizure of more than 43 kilograms of fentanyl.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Ontario police seize $5.4 million in drugs in two massive trafficking investigations
Ontario Provincial Police say 86 packages containing drugs intended to be shipped across Canada were seized at a Canada Post location in Ottawa on March 10, 2025 as part of a major investigation dubbed "Project BIONIC". (OPP/handout) Ontario Provincial Police held a media conference on Tuesday to announce a historic fentanyl seizure following two lengthy drug trafficking investigations. According to police, the investigations, dubbed Project BIONIC and Project GOLDEN, resulted in the seizure of 43.5 kilograms of fentanyl, equaling roughly 435,000 potentially deadly street-level doses. 'To put that into perspective, a population of 435,000 would be the fifth largest urban population centre in the Province of Ontario,' OPP stated in a release. 'The fentanyl seized through these investigations was mixed with other substances, which has been taken into consideration when estimating street-level doses.' OPP conference Ontario Provincial Police hold a press conference on Projects Golden and Bionic in Orillia, Ont., on Tues., June 10, 2025. (CTV News/Luke Simard) Project GOLDEN was an 11-month investigation into a multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking network across southwestern Ontario, and resulted in the OPP's largest fentanyl seizure to date - 38 kilograms. Project BIONIC spanned five months and was the first of its kind for the OPP. It took aim at an operation utilizing the dark web to ship drugs across the country. 'As drug trafficking networks evolve in complexity, so too must our investigative strategies,' stated OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique. 'We remain committed to cutting off supply chains and taking down criminal networks, because every gram of fentanyl we seize is a life potentially saved.' Police executed search warrants at 16 residences and businesses and eight vehicles in York Region, Toronto, Burlington, Hamilton, Norfolk County and Oxford County. Along with the massive fentanyl seizure, police also seized 5.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine, 19.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, two handguns and a rifle, brass knuckles, and more than $121,000 in Canadian cash. Police say the estimated street-value of the drugs seized is $5.4 million.
