OPP say they have concluded an intercontinental investigation that has netted 1,062 kilograms of pure cocaine with a street value of a $250 million.
That makes it the largest single drug seizure in OPP history.
At a news conference at OPP General Headquarters in Orillia, Commissioner Vince Hawkes, Deputy Commissioner Rick Barnum and representatives from the project's partner agencies unveiled details of the investigation and a stack of evidence seized. The wholesale value of this seizure is estimated to be worth $60 million while the eventual street value, once cut, is approximately $250 million.
Called Project HOPE, the investigation revealed three people responsible for importing enormous quantities of cocaine from Argentina. They were identified and linked to cocaine transported on ocean-going vessels in shipping containers to the Port of Montreal for distribution in Ontario.
Over the course of several months, the OPP worked with the Canadian Border Services Agency to identify the containers and locations. Subsequent investigation identified links to various caches of cocaine at a CBSA warehouse, at the Port of Montreal and in Stoney Creek, Ontario.
Luis Enrique Karim-Altamirano, 52, of Vaughan was charged on May 1, with:
- Importation of a Controlled Substance Schedule 1 - Cocaine
- Possession of a Controlled Schedule 1 Substance - Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking and,
- Drive While Disqualified.
He remains in custody pending a bail hearing on August 30.
Mauricio Antonio Medina-Gatica, 36 of Brampton was charged on May 1, with:
- Importation of a Controlled Substance Schedule 1 - Cocaine and,
- Possession of a Controlled Substance Schedule 1 - Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking.
He has since been released on bail.
Iban Orozco-Lomeli, 45 of Toronto, was charged on July 10, with
- Importation of a Controlled Substance Schedule 1 - Cocaine and,
- Possession of a Controlled Schedule 1 Substance - Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking.
He has since been released on bail.
"The OPP recognize that illegal drugs cause grievous harm and threaten community safety," said Hawkes. "With the amount of pure cocaine seized during Project HOPE, we've stopped many criminals from causing more harm to our communities while removing a quarter of a billion dollars from the criminal economy."
Project HOPE was conducted by the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB) and Provincial Operations Intelligence Bureau (POIB) in partnership with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Peel Regional Police, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
