Ontario Police Arrest 19, Seize Drugs Worth Over $97 Million in Major Cross-Border Bust

Updated - July 27, 2026 05:23 pm IST — Ontario

PTI

19 people arrested in Canada’s Ontario province where authorities seized nearly 1.7 tonnes of narcotics with an estimated value of over $97 million. File | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Nineteen people — most of them believed to be of Indian origin — were arrested in one of the largest-ever drug busts in Canada's Ontario province. Authorities seized nearly 1.7 tonnes of narcotics with an estimated value of over $97 million.

An intelligence-led cross-border investigation, codenamed Project Bay, dismantled an alleged drug trafficking network that used commercial transport routes to move narcotics into Canada, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said in a press statement.

Police said 19 people have been arrested, while two remain at large.

Many of the accused are truck drivers allegedly recruited to transport illicit consignments across the Canada-U.S. border.

Those Arrested

• Gagandip Thindal, 27
• Simranjit Singh, 32
• Kanwarpal Kular, 32
• Jatinderpal Singh, 39
• Jasvinder Sohi, 55
• Tejwinder Sandhu, 29
• Harjwinder Sandhu, 33
• Haninderpal Grewal, 34
• Tarminder Singh, 19
• Avtar Sahota, 54
• Gundeep Tariwal, 32
• Mehakpreet Singh, 24
• Karandeep Singh, 27

Investigation Timeline

• January 2025: The investigation began after the Windsor Police Service launched a probe into drug trafficking.
• February 2025: The Canada Border Services Agency joined the investigation.
• June 25 – July 20: Police executed 22 search warrants at residences and businesses in Windsor, Corunna, LaSalle, Brampton, Kleinburg, Markham, and Caledon.

How the Network Operated

According to investigators, the network operated through a broker-style model within the commercial transportation sector. It used established logistics links to arrange drivers who knowingly transported illicit consignments concealed within legitimate supply chains across the international border.

Seized Items

• Drugs:
• Cocaine: ~973 kg
• Methamphetamine: ~660 kg
• Opium: ~49 kg
• Oxycodone tablets: 230
• Firearms: 17
• Cash: ~80,000 Canadian dollars and $10,000 USD
• Other items: High-end jewellery, money counters, 43 mobile phones, six laptops, and a vehicle

The estimated street value of the drugs seized is more than 139 million Canadian dollars (approx. $97 million), the OPP said, describing it as "one of the largest drug busts by weight in Ontario."

OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart described the seizure as a significant blow to organised crime, stating that the operation had disrupted the cross-border flow of illegal drugs and firearms and prevented substantial harm to communities across Ontario.

Published - July 27, 2026 05:21 pm IST