Ontario Provincial Police say an international investigation into a cocaine smuggling ring has resulted in the largest drug seizure in the force’s history.
OPP say they have charged three men from the GTA in who allegedly imported more than 1,000 kilograms of pure cocaine into Canada from Argentina. Investigators say the value of the cocaine is estimated to be worth $60 million with a street value of about $250 million.
OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes spoke at a news conference today.
“The OPP recognize that illegal drugs cause grievous harm and threaten community safety,” he said. “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.”
The investigation called “Project Hope” was in partnership with Peel police, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, among other organizations.
According to police, the cocaine was allegedly transported in shipping containers to Montreal, and then sent to Ontario. Working with border guards they discovered a variety of caches of cocaine at a CBSA warehouse in the Port of Montreal and in Stoney Creek.
52-year-old Luis Enrique Karim-Altamirano from Vaughan and 36-year-old Mauricio Antonio Medina-Gatica from Brampton were charged with various drug trafficking offences on May 1, while 42-year-old Iban Orozco-Lomeli from Toronto was charged with various drug trafficking offences on July 10.
Medina-Gatica and Orozco-Lomeli have been released on bail. Karim-Altamirano remains in custody pending a bail hearing on Wednesday.