Largest fentanyl bust in OPP history part of two drug trafficking probes
"I don’t want us to be distracted by the narrative of fentanyl going from Canada into the U.S. and take away from the public safety concern around fentanyl.”
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An 11-month multi-jurisdictional investigation into a drug trafficking network based in southwestern Ontario has resulted in the largest fentanyl seizure — 38 kilograms — in Ontario Provincial Police history.
Launched in July 2024, Project Golden saw search warrants executed on 16 residences and businesses and eight vehicles in Oxford County, Norfolk County, Hamilton, Mississauga, York Region, Burlington and Toronto by May 2025.
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As a result, 38 kg of suspected fentanyl, 19.5 kg of suspected methamphetamine, 5.5 kg of suspected cocaine, 34 g of psilocybin, 14 g of suspected MDMA, three firearms, including two handguns and a rifle, a prohibited weapon (brass knuckles), $121,600 in Canadian currency and three vehicles as offence-related property were seized.
The estimated street-value of the drugs seized is $5.4 million and a total of 15 individuals are facing 140 charges.
“Drug trafficking networks are knowingly distributing drugs that cause harm and often kill,” said OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique at a Tuesday morning news conference at OPP headquarters in Orillia, Ont.
“Between January 2016 and September 2024, there has been more than 50,000 apparent opiate-related deaths in Canada. At this time there is no indication that the fentanyl seized through these investigations was destined for exportation to the United States or any other country.”
During the question-and-answer session that followed, Carrique emphasized the major fentanyl bust is still important despite no cross-border distribution given U.S. President Donald Trump’s previous claims it’s an issue.
“We are not seeing fentanyl being trafficked from Canada into the United States,” he said. “That is not a trend that we have observed through Canadian law enforcement. I don’t want us to be distracted by the narrative of fentanyl going from Canada into the U.S. and take away from the public safety concern around fentanyl.”
Emphasized OPP Acting Det.-Supt. Andy Bradford with the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau: “Some of the accused were identified as wholesale suppliers of fentanyl, methamphitamine, and cocaine. The fentanyl seized in Project Golden was enough for approximately 380,000 street level doses.”
Hamilton Police Service Supt. Marty Schulenberg with the Investigative Services Division said in April 2023 the city “declared a state of emergency in relation to homelessness, opioid addiction and mental health,” saying there is a link to violent crime.
“In fact, last year alone, Hamilton saw the highest number of shootings that we have experienced annually with 60 shootings in one calendar year,” he said.
Meanwhile, a second multi-jurisdictional investigation called Project Bionic, which began in November 2024, dismantled a dark-web drug trafficking operation that was shipping illegal drugs across Canada.
The probe resulted in the seizure of more than 27 kilos and 64,000 tablets of 37 various 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.
“This investigation into the use of dark web for trafficking is the first of its kind for the OPP,” Carrique said.
On March 10, 2025, two individuals at a Canada Post location in Ottawa were arrested and 86 packages containing various drugs ready to be shipped to addresses across Canada were seized.
On the same day, four search warrants were executed at one vehicle and three residences in Gloucester, Ont., and Nepean, Ont.. Among the item seized were a handgun, an extended magazine and ammunition, about $95,000 in Canadian currency, electronic devices, a stolen 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider convertible valued at more than $400,000, fraudulent license plates, reprogrammable key fobs and a diagnostic and programmer tool.
Also seized were about 5.5 kg of suspected fentanyl, 7.6 kg of suspected methamphetamine, 3.7 kg of suspected MDMA powder, two kg of suspected heroin, 1.8 kg of suspected cocaine, 1.4 kg of suspected ketamine, 5.8 kg of cannabis resin (hash), more than 47,955 hydromorphone tablets, 6,580 methylphenidate tablets, 3,175 morphine tablets, 2,395 suspected MDMA tablets, 1,785 oxycodone tablets, 40 fentanyl patches, 35 g of suspected black tar heroin, 40 steroid liquid vials, 715 pregabalin tablets, 590 g of dried cannabis and a large quantity of other prescription medications.
The estimated street value of the drugs seized is more than $2.5 million.
On March 27, 2025, another search warrant was executed “at a location on the outskirts of Ottawa” where 11 stolen vehicles were recovered including two Toyota Highlanders, three Toyota Sequoias, five Toyota Tundras and One Lexus RX with the estimated value of $730,000.
Four individuals have been charged with a combined 85 offences.
Anyone with any information about the trafficking of illicit drugs, diversion of prescription medication or auto theft should contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
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