Major gun and drug trafficking bust in GTA leads to 23 arrests: 'Dangerous criminal network'
A number of the accused were under court-ordered release conditions at the time of their arrests and some have already been released
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A massive gun and drug trafficking bust in the GTA has so far led to 23 arrests and the seizure of dozens of firearms and huge amounts of the deadly opioid fentanyl.
York Regional Police say officers from their Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement Unit (GGDEU) launched Project Chatter – a complex and extensive investigation into the alleged activities of a man known as Bogdan Butean – in October 2024.
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“Intelligence gathered by our investigators indicated that Butean was a key player in the trafficking of controlled substances throughout the GTA,” Det.-Sgt. Sean Whittaker, the Officer-in-Charge of the GGDEU, alleged Wednesday at a news conference where the seized guns and drugs were on display.
“As the investigation progressed, officers uncovered a sophisticated criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of both raw and street-ready fentanyl, as well as firearms across the region,” he said. “Recognizing the threat that this posed, an internal task force dubbed Project Chatter was established to aggressively target and dismantle this network.”
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Whittaker said investigators uncovered a network that was “highly organized and well equipped.”
“Our investigators identified key suppliers, distribution hubs and locations believed to be cooking, or cutting, fentanyl for street-level sale,” he said. “These operations were primarily based in the city of Richmond Hill but had reach throughout the GTA.”
Whittaker said more than 200 officers from York Regional Police, Peel Regional Police, the Toronto Police Service and other partner agencies executed “a series of coordinated search warrants” in Richmond Hill, Toronto, Ajax, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga and Niagara Falls on May 4.
The raids led to the seizure of 32 illegal firearms – 31 handguns and one assault-style rifle – 15 kilograms of fentanyl, two kilograms of cocaine, 12 kilograms of dried cannabis, 247 grams of ketamine, 38 grams of methamphetamine, 86 grams of psilocybin, $136,000 in Canadian currency, $18,000 in U.S. currency, and three Rolex watches.
Whittaker said the fentanyl alone, which amounted to 700,000 doses, has a street value of more than $7 million.
To date, 23 people have been arrested and charged with a combined total of 330 criminal offences.
Charged so far are Bogdan Butean, 31, Evan Taylor Lee, 61, Scott McFarlane, 50, Eric Allison, 34, and Lucia Stellato, 35, all of Richmond Hill, Dwayne Mark Willis, 32, and Reon Richie Alexis, 36, both of Mississauga, Julien Ragganandan, 35, Darryl Yong, 51, Daniel Vargas, 31, Shemar Tomlinson, 29, Jesse Boateng, 30, Chloe Mitchell, 22, Olanzo Renardo Nelson, 26, Darnell Wendel O’Neil Garnes, 29, and Nathan Edward Stewart, 42, all of Toronto, Daniel Salmon, 31, of Brantford, Kijaro Shyheim Kahleil Thomas-Scott, 29, Jayden Williams, 22, Jaeanna Leandra Livingston, 18, Rondell Solomon, 24, all of Ajax, Tyler Hutton, 26, and Kara-Leigh Ewin, 29, both of Niagara Falls.
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“This operation has not only disrupted a dangerous criminal network, it has undoubtedly prevented future tragedies,” Whittaker said.
Deputy Chief Alvaro Almeida said a number of the accused were already under court-ordered release conditions at the time of their arrests – and nine of those arrested have already been released from custody on various conditions.
He also said most of the firearms seized are believed to have been smuggled into the country from south of the border.
Of the 24 guns police have so far been able to trace, 23 were sourced to the U.S. and only one was sourced to Canada.
“These weapons were not intended only for the trade of this criminal network but also would have ended up in the hands of individuals committing shootings, carjackings and other violent crimes in our region,” Almeida said, adding the GTA is “safer” in the wake of Project Chatter.
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