A sweeping nine-month investigation into drug trafficking and illegal firearms has led to the arrest of 34 people — 30 of them from the Greater Toronto Area — and the seizure of more than $2.7 million worth of drugs, Durham Regional Police announced.
Dubbed Project Hydrogen, the investigation was launched in April by the Durham Regional Police Service Gun and Gang Unit and resulted in 139 criminal charges. Officers executed 61 search warrants over several weeks across Durham Region, Toronto, Peel, York, Halton, Kawartha Lakes, Thunder Bay, Lindsay and as far west as Winnipeg.
Police seized 10 firearms, more than $200,000 in cash, 18 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, six kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of MDMA and approximately 3,000 hydromorphone pills. The operation involved a large multi-agency effort, with assistance from Toronto Police, Peel Regional Police, York Regional Police, Halton Police, OPP, RCMP, Winnipeg Police, Peterborough Police and others.
Those charged include six people from Toronto, five from Ajax, four each from Oshawa, Brampton and Whitby, three from Markham, two each from Lindsay and Winnipeg, and one each from Mississauga, Pickering, Uxbridge and Scarborough. Police noted that 14 of the accused were already under court-imposed conditions at the time of their arrest, including four who were on parole.
Durham police also acknowledged funding support from the provincial government through Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario.
Investigators are asking anyone with information related to this case or similar criminal activity to contact the DRPS Gun and Gang Enforcement Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5800, or anonymously through Durham Regional Crime Stoppers.