Police seize $970K of drugs in Winnipeg under Project Pink Panther
Cocaine, meth, ketamine and opioids were seized after raids across Manitoba and Ontario.
Winnipeg police and partners seized more than $900,000 worth of drugs in an interprovincial operation, Project Pink Panther, also netting four vehicles and around $126,000 in cash.
The investigation began last December into cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine and prescription opioid trafficking by organized crime groups in Manitoba. Police say the drugs were sourced from Ontario, B.C. and Alberta and brought into Winnipeg using passenger vehicles, courier services, mail shipments and commercial flights.
Once in Winnipeg, the drugs were delivered to designated properties where they were stored, retrieved and distributed through levels of the illicit drug trade.
Police executed search warrants in August with the Ontario Provincial Police, targeting locations in Winnipeg, Toronto, Brampton and Alliston, Ont. Officers seized about 29 kilograms of meth, valued at an estimated $174,000, and 12 kilograms of cocaine, worth about $360,000 on the streets. They also seized three kilograms of ketamine estimated at $101,000.
The bust also included 25,000 prescription opioids and controlled substance pills worth $312,000, about two kilograms of MDMA, 1,800 LSD tablets, 31 grams of heroin and around 207 cannabis edible packages, with a combined estimated street value of $19,000.
Officers seized firearms including two .22 calibre rifles, three 12-gauge shotguns, an SKS-style rifle and over 800 rounds of ammunition. A conducted energy weapon was also seized, along with four vehicles: a Mercedes Benz crossover SUV, a Chevrolet Silverado, a Chevrolet Cruze and a Cadillac CTS.
Six people in Winnipeg and three in Ontario are facing drug or weapon-related charges. Police say two Winnipeggers were detained, with the rest released on court orders, while all three arrested in Ontario remain in custody.
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Source:
Global News