THUNDER BAY – The largest fentanyl bust in the city's history has resulted in three suspects – including one who allegedly smuggled drugs on a flight from Toronto – facing charges.
An investigation, conducted by a joint task force made up of the Thunder Bay Police Service, OPP, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service and Anishinabek Police Service, identified a suspect believed to be in possession of fentanyl landing at the Thunder Bay International Airport just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday
Thunder Bay Police Staff Sgt. Shawn Harrison confirmed one of the suspects had fentanyl in a backpack and in their possession on a commercial flight from Toronto.
"We have concerns about that," Harrison said. "It's not a full backpack amount. That's the thing with fentanyl. It's very potent in a small amount. It's obviously concerning that somebody is apparently able to bring it on a flight."
In a news release, police estimated the street value of the total amount of fentanyl seized at $160,000.
Harrison, citing the ongoing court process, would not confirm the amount of fentanyl that was recovered but said it would be brought to a Thunder Bay residence where it would be cut and sold.
"It's a large amount," Harrison said. "Not knowing how pure the quantity is, two milligrams of fentanyl is technically fatal for most people. It was a lot more than two milligrams there. I would estimate that you could probably make most of Thunder Bay – in a pure form – pretty ill if not kill people with that amount that we seized."
Taha Sevket Karan, a 20-year-old from Toronto, has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and failing to comply with condition recognizance. Two suspects from Thunder Bay, 54-year-old Jonathan Philip Trulik and 35-year-old Shayn Thomas Wilson, are each charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Harrison said two of the accused picked up the suspect on the flight and the trio were arrested at a Peter Street residence.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and the residence, where officers located more fentanyl. a quantity of Hydromorphone pills, about $28,000 in cash and paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking.
While Harrison said this is the first bust where police have seized fentanyl brought by a suspect on a flight, he believes it's not a completely new practice.
"We had information this was going on," Harrison said. "It was a matter of ensuring we were there at the time it happened."
Harrison said there hasn't yet been a determination if there is a gang connection, but it's clear the lucrative market in Thunder Bay encourages drugs to be brought from southern Ontario.
"If there's a will, there's a way. If there's a way, there's a will," Harrison said. "They're going to do whatever they can to get it into Thunder Bay."
Despite the volume of the seizure, Harrison isn't overly optimistic it will represent a major disruption in the local drug trade.
"I think it will have a little bit of significance. Unfortunately, we know with all drugs that there's always more coming in," Harrison said.
"We do the best we can to stop it but there are some drugs coming in all the time. We've encountered in the past when we've made a large, significant seizure and we hear about it through our information sources that things are a little tough getting those drugs at that time, but it always seems to bounce back."
All three accused appeared in court on Thursday and have been remanded into custody with future dates.
