Ontario Police Counternarcotics Efforts Paying Off

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TORONTO 000155 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM PGOV CA SUBJECT: Ontario Police Counternarcotics Efforts Paying Off REF: (A) Toronto 69 (B) Toronto 59 (C) 07 Toronto 448 Sensitive But Unclassified - Protect Accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Drug production, smuggling and trafficking continues to be a major challenge for Ontario law enforcement agencies. Since we last reported on counter-narcotics efforts in Ontario in mid-March, police have discovered and shut down several large-scale marijuana grow-ops and methamphetamine labs, seized significant quantities of drugs, and arrested and charged scores of people. The Akwesasne First Nations Reserve and Pearson International Airport remain prime drug transit points. Experts argue that increasing youth street gang activity and the accompanying increased gun violence in Canada are symptoms of a burgeoning drug trade in the country. Information-sharing and operational cooperation between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies have been vital to several recent significant seizures on both sides of the border. Should a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) position be created in Toronto, the agent would find plenty of work involving illegal cross-border drug flows. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- Ontario Provincial Police Publish 2007 Drug Report -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) On May 12, 2008, the Drug Enforcement Section (DES) of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced that in 2007 it seized C$244.2 million in illicit drugs and arrested 2,246 individuals across Ontario last year. In 2007, a total of 3,105 investigations dismantled 551 indoor and outdoor marijuana grow operations, in which 6,000 kilograms of dried marijuana were seized and more than 160,000 marijuana plants were destroyed. Over the past five years, the OPP has charged 9,993 persons with 36,963 criminal offenses; eliminated 3,550 marijuana grow-ops; destroyed 1,162,450 marijuana plants; seized 412.3 kilos of cocaine; and seized 3,200 weapons. The value of the drugs seized during this five-year period was C$1.6 billion. The value of the property seized was C$27.2 million. ¶3. (U) DES notes that it has seen more criminal activity during the past five years involving new and synthetic drugs such as ecstasy, GHB, crack cocaine, and prescription pills such as oxycodone. The number of weapons, man traps and degree of violence associated with outdoor marijuana grow operations in Ontario have also increased significantly. The 3,200 weapons seized during drug investigations over the last five years include machine guns, assault rifles, detonator cords, and blasting caps. -------------- -------------- Pearson Airport Continues to be a Drug Trafficking Hub -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) On April 26, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) at Toronto's Pearson Airport arrested a Quebec woman for transporting 12 kilos of cocaine worth C$1.5 million inside 24 boxes of cake mix into Canada on a flight from Peru. The seizure was made public on May 9 as part of an ongoing probe. Two seizures were also made on a flight arriving in Toronto from St. Lucia on May 5. A 24-year-old man from St. Lucia was charged after he was found with 4.5 kilos of coke worth roughly C$560,000 and a 24-year-old woman and her 34-year-old boyfriend were held after 11.5 kilos of cocaine worth C$1.4 million was discovered in their luggage. -------------- -- Marijuana Grow-ups Still Flourishing in Ontario -------------- -- ¶5. (U) According to the U.N.'s 2007 Drug Report, 960 to 2,400 metric tons of marijuana is produced annually in Canada, 25% of which is produced in Ontario. Over the past couple of months, law enforcement agencies in Ontario have shut down numerous large-scale marijuana grow-ops. ¶6. (U) On April 21, 2008, police seized 3,000 marijuana plants and almost seven kilograms of processed pot with an estimated street value of over C$3 million. Two homemade swords, three vehicles, digital scales, and a large quantity of hydroponic equipment were also seized in the raid. Two Toronto men were charged with marijuana production. ¶7. (U) On April 22, 2008, York Region police announced that they had dismantled 18 marijuana grow operations linked to a company that allegedly sold the equipment needed to grow pot indoors. Following a two year investigation police seized 8,000 plants worth about C$8 million. Three people face a dozen charges, including production of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, and theft of electricity. ¶8. (U) On May 13, 2008, the OPP announced that they arrested 45 people and laid 173 charges in connection with an outdoor marijuana TORONTO 00000155 002 OF 004 grow-operation near Minden, Ontario last fall. Officers seized more than C$7 million in marijuana, about C$50,000 in cash, 2,000 ecstasy pills, nine firearms, and camouflage outfits. The grow-op was discovered after six people, two of whom worked for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR),stumbled on the grow-op near an ATV trail last October. The six people were beaten, robbed, and held captive for hours by the suspects. Police said marijuana plants were being stolen from the spot by another group of criminals when the victims discovered the plants. The investigation, dubbed "Project Pirate," also resulted in charges against several people in connection with a violent carjacking last June on Highway 401 in eastern Ontario. Police estimate there could be more than 300 illegal outdoor marijuana grow-ops right now in Ontario, some in remote areas and others hidden in unsuspecting farmers' fields. -------------- Recent Cocaine, Crack, and Marijuana Seizures -------------- ¶9. (U) On March 27, members of the Toronto Drug Squad and the Emergency Task Force executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act warrant at D.J. Record and Clothing Store in downtown Toronto. Police discovered roughly 65 pounds of marijuana worth C$600,000 and a 9mm handgun. 15 people were charged with 32 drug and weapons related charges. ¶10. (U) On March 29, 2008, Toronto Police seized 1,295 grams of marijuana worth C$13,000, 139 grams of crack cocaine worth C$30,000, and C$12,170 of cash along with numerous articles of drug paraphernalia from a car parked in a residential neighborhood of central Toronto. A Toronto man was arrested and charged with drug-related offences. ¶11. (U) On April 10, 2008, Toronto Police and Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) officers seized approximately C$30,000 in cash and 108.8 grams of cocaine from a Barrie, Ontario man. The man was charged with three drug-related offences. ¶12. (U) On April 17, 2008, a Windsor, Ontario man appeared in court on drug trafficking charges after Windsor police raided a home and seized 14 pounds of bagged marijuana, along with 241 grams of cocaine, and 120 grams of hashish and hash oil worth C$91,629. The man is now facing five counts of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. Windsor Police credited a recent boost in provincial funding aimed at tackling drug and firearms crimes in Ontario for a number of drug busts in the city. Police said the number of drug busts so far this year is about the same as during the same period last year, but more drugs are being seized. ¶13. (U) On April 29, 2008, an Ontario man was arrested in Michigan after state troopers seized 63 kilograms of cocaine in three duffel bags worth C$1.8 million from his tractor trailer. Four Americans in a car trailing the tractor trailer were also taken into custody. ¶14. (U) On May 14, Toronto Police seized a large quantity of cocaine and C$389,726 in cash. A Toronto man was charged with trafficking cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking in cocaine, and possession of proceeds of crime. -------------- Akwesasne Reserve A Smuggling Hub -------------- ¶15. (U) The Akwesasne First Nations Reserve, which straddles the provincial boundaries between Ontario and Quebec as well as the international border between the U.S. and Canada, continues to be a prime location for smuggling and drug trafficking. The reserve is known as St. Regis Mohawk Reserve in New York. The 401 Trans-Canada highway, conveniently located just outside the reserve, provides direct routes west to Toronto and east to Montreal. The RCMP estimates that roughly C$1 billion in drugs and contraband flow through the reserve each year. ¶16. (U) On March 26, 2008, 29 people were arrested as police forces staged drug raids on the Kahnawake, Kanesatake, and Akwesasne First Nations Reserves, dismantling a multi-million dollar drug pipeline linking Ontario, Quebec, and the U.S. More than 300 officers, including the Kahnawake and Akwesasne Peace Keepers, worked with RCMP and Surete du Quebec in the year-long investigation known as "Operation Cancun." Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officers also assisted. In 15 raids police forces netted 115 kilos of marijuana worth an estimated C$1 million, bundles of cash totaling C$2 million, four machine guns, an AK-47, an M-16, three grenade launchers, and other assorted weapons. Police also seized 10 luxury vehicles, including high-end SUVs and at least one sports car worth C$250,000. "The drugs were smuggled by boat in the summer and by trucks and skidoo on ice bridges in the winter," explained Sergeant Michael Harvey of the RCMP's customs and TORONTO 00000155 003 OF 004 excise section. Of the 22 men and 7 women arrested, eight live in Kahnawake, 10 in Akwesasne, one in the Kanesetake Mohawk reserve near Montreal, and 10 in Montreal. They face charges of gangsterism, drug exportation, illegal weapons possession, drug possession, drug trafficking, conspiracy to traffic drugs, conspiracy to export drugs, and drug manufacturing. ¶17. (U) On February 25, 2008, in Warren County, New York, state troopers seized 10 pounds of marijuana in a duffel bag from four Massachusetts men and also seized 126 pounds of marijuana worth a combined C$500,000 from three Canadian women from Cornwall, Ontario, in the largest seizure in the county's history. In both cases, the people transporting the drugs reportedly brought them into the U.S. through the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Reservation. -------------- Meth Super-lab Raided in GTA -------------- ¶18. (U) On April 29, Toronto Police uncovered the largest methamphetamine lab ever found in the GTA in an industrial park in Mississauga, Ontario. Inside the industrial units police found two full methamphetamine cooking kitchens, 80 drums of volatile chemicals, storage for a large amount of ecstasy pills, and four pill presses. Four people were arrested -- three from Toronto and one from Quebec. Toronto Police described the meth lab as a sophisticated, organized criminal operation. -------------- -------------- U.S. - Canadian Law Enforcement Cooperation is Working -------------- -------------- ¶19. (U) Information-sharing and operational cooperation between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies has been key to several recent significant arrests and seizures on both sides of the border. For example, on March 19, 2008, Toronto Police and the RCMP executed 12 search warrants at various GTA locations that resulted in the seizure of 275 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of over C$550,000. Charges were filed against four men from the GTA. The operation, dubbed "Project Ocujo," was conducted with the support of the U.S. DEA and targeted a GTA smuggling ring allegedly involved in shipping Canadian marijuana south of the border. Police also seized 17.6 pounds of ketamine, 3 vehicles, 130 cigarettes, C$180,000 in cash, and a C$100,000 money order. Two people in the U.S. were also charged. -------------- Gangs, Guns and Drugs in Canada -------------- ¶20. (U) Michael Chettleburgh, author of "Young Thugs: Inside the Dangerous World of Canadian Street Gangs," published in April 2007, warns that more young people are joining gangs. He argues the increasing gunplay on Canadian streets is a symptom of a burgeoning drug trade. Chettleburgh drafted the 2002 Canadian Police Survey on Youth Gangs for the federal government and will release the results of a new survey later this year. "Where there are guns and gangs there are drugs," Chettleburgh opined. "We've gone from seeing fairly unsophisticated revolvers, to semi-automatic pistols to hunting rifles sawed off, to machine guns and military-grade assault rifles." ¶21. (U) Toronto Deputy Police Chief Tony Warr said the propensity for violence has spread from major drug dealers to minor drug traffickers who now carry guns because they are afraid of getting ripped off or shot by their competition. In 2006, 8,100 Canadian residents were victims of violent gun crimes including robbery, assault, and homicide, according to Statistics Canada. The number of young people using guns in violent crimes has risen in three of the previous four years, increasing 32% since 2002, also according to Statistics Canada. Chettleburgh estimates there are 11,000 to 14,000 gang members under the age of 21 across the country, up from 7,000 in the 2002 Police Survey on Youth Gangs. -------------- Oshawa, Ontario is a Major Drug Haven -------------- ¶22. (U) In recent months, Oshawa, Ontario, located on the eastern fringe of the GTA, has been a hot-spot of drug-related activity. On March 16, 2008, in Oshawa, Durham Regional Police (DRP) seized 24 grams of crack cocaine and 910 grams of cocaine worth C$90,000, and arrested two Oshawa residents. Also, two days later, on March 18, DRP seized roughly 2 kilograms of cocaine worth C$200,000 and four people were charged with drug-related offences. ¶23. (U) On March 20, 2008, Oshawa Police recovered 1,797 grams of psilocybin or magic mushrooms, 110 grams of marijuana, and 8 grams of hash worth C$37,000 after stopping a vehicle on a downtown TORONTO 00000155 004 OF 004 thoroughfare. Two men were charged. ¶24. (U) On March 20, 2008, DRP announced that a six week street-level drug trafficking investigation in eastern Toronto suburbs including Oshawa resulted in the seizure of C$40,000 in drugs, and 63 arrests with about 200 charges laid, mostly related to cocaine trafficking. The investigation, dubbed "Project Magnet," recovered roughly 71 grams of crack cocaine worth C$7,140, 151 grams of cocaine worth C$15,110, 1,316 grams of marijuana worth C$13,162, and 231 tablets of oxycodone worth C$4,620. A .45 caliber handgun, 3 boxes of ammunition, and C$6,800 in cash were also seized. 45 of the 63 people charged were from Oshawa. ¶25. (U) On April 9, 2008 DRP discovered a major meth lab concealed behind false walls and secret compartments in an Oshawa residence. In the house police found caches of chemicals and lab equipment. Police believe that the drug lab belonged to the previous owner of the residence so no charges were laid against the current occupants. -------------- Recent Major Drug Seizures and Operations -------------- ¶26. (U) On April 1, 2008, Toronto Police announced the successful conclusion of a six-week project, dubbed "Project Revival," which resulted in 75 arrests for drug trafficking and 21 arrests for prostitution, resulting in 192 drug and criminal charges. These 96 arrested people had a previous combined total of 2,089 drug and criminal convictions. ¶27. (U) On March 16, 2008, Toronto Police and local law enforcement agencies concluded a six week long investigation, dubbed "Project White Rabbit," by raiding the Comfort Zone, a downtown Toronto club. In the six-week run-up to the club raid, Toronto Police made 13 drug-related arrests and seized C$6,000 worth of drugs. 33 people were arrested and charged and police recovered heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine, and GHB, worth C$30,000, along with C$35,000 cash during the club raid. In a related arrest on April 6, 2008, another Toronto man was charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking, and possession of proceeds of crime. -------------- Cocaine heads North; Marijuana Heads South -------------- ¶28. (U) Large recent cocaine seizures in Ontario demonstrate that the cross-border drug pipelines continue to operate. On March 29, 2008, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) guards at the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, Ontario seized 46 kilograms of cocaine worth C$5.75 million behind the rear seat of a car. A Kitchener, Ontario man and women were charged with importing a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. ¶29. (U) On March 16, 2008, an Oshawa man was arrested for trying to smuggle 272 pounds of marijuana worth C$1.6 million in his truck when he entered the United States at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, NY. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents said they found the pot hidden in seven cardboard boxes in a load of airplane parts and a large steel tank. ¶30. (SBU) COMMENT: Ontario-based law enforcement agencies continue to work hard to combat illegal drug production and trafficking. The volume and tempo of drug-related seizures and arrests in Ontario and along the Canada-U.S. border demonstrate the continued profitability of the drug trade and the determination of the criminals operating it. Recent significant seizures on both sides of the border highlight the importance of information sharing and operational cooperation between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies, which is helping to combat the flow of drugs, weapons, and contraband across the border. The high volume of illegal cross-border drug flow, in both directions, makes it clear that any DEA agent stationed in Toronto would have a heavy and productive workload, with much opportunity for increased cooperation with Canadian law enforcement authorities here. END COMMENT. NAY