Two York Region residents are facing charges following a 19-month long investigation drug-trafficking by the Ontario Provincial Police.
Markham resident Kyrel Tyrone Gilbert-Gross, 22, is charged with trafficking a controlled substance (fentanyl) and possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking.
Isaiah Williams, 22, of Richmond Hill is facing the same two charges.
They are among the 13 individuals charged as part of Project HELSTON.
The investigation was prompted by an influx of illicit substances in eastern Ontario in March 2020. Over the past 19 months, the OPP have been investigating the criminal networks responsible for producing and distributing these drugs.
On Nov. 3, they executed search warrants in Mississauga, Cornwall and Ottawa.
As a result, police have laid 141 charges and seized the following:
- 31.5 kilograms of fentanyl
- 7.5 grams of cocaine
- 68 oxycodone pills
- a handgun with 17 rounds of ammunition
- four vehicles as offence-related property
Police say the drugs seized have an estimated total street value of more than $13.3 million.
"Project HELSTON has revealed a blatant disregard for human life demonstrated by the individuals involved in the production and trafficking of illicit fentanyl and cocaine. The sheer impact of the potential number of street-level doses of fentanyl seized by investigators is absolutely shocking. These criminals partake in heinous activities that have an imminent risk of causing loss of life, and for nothing more than monetary gain," said OPP Deputy Commissioner Chuck Cox in a news release.
All those arrested in Project HELSTON were taken into custody and have been appearing in court in Ottawa throughout the first weeks of November.
"The opioid crisis in our country is becoming more and more severe and we as law enforcement send a message to anyone participating in trafficking or producing these deadly drugs - you are not welcome in our communities. Should you decide to endanger lives through these criminal activities, we will investigate you and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. It is time to put an end to the distribution of these illicit and deadly drugs," Cox said.
According to the OPP, the prevalence of fentanyl in the community continues to increase.
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