Approximately $800,000 worth of marijuana was seized from a John Street residence Thursday by the Combined Forces Organized Crime Unit.
At 8:30 a.m. drug enforcement unit officers executed a Controlled Drugs and Substance Act search warrant and found 89 lbs of marijuana, one pound of cannabis resin and $13,000 cash.
Thunder Bay resident Theodore Bobrowski, 50, was arrested on scene and has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime.
Thunder Bay Police Service deputy chief J.P. Levesque said this is a decent-sized bust for the city, especially for an investigation that took just shy of one month.
"This is fairly big, not all that common," he said. "Certainly the turnaround time and how quickly we managed to seize this kind of quantity … it’s usually a fairly lengthy investigation that leads to this kind of quantity so this is somewhat unique."
Authorities were alerted to this target by a confidential source and Levesque said while it’s not the head of the snake, it will put a dent in marijuana distribution in the city.
"It’s not the head of the snake and we will be vigilant and continue to be engaged in these types of situations," he said.
Along with the TBPS, the Combined Forces Organized Crime Unit includes the OPP, RCMP, Nishnawbe-Aski Police and the Anishnawbek Police Service. Levesque said the co-operation between forces is vital, particularly in Northwestern Ontario.
"We don’t know or not willing to say where this may or may not have been destined to," he said. "Could it be destined for the outlying reserves? Absolutely. The smaller communities policed by the OPP in the region? That’s a possibility as well … It’s important from an intelligence standpoint that the agencies and partnerships are strong and we continue to work together."
The seized drugs will be destroyed when no longer needed as evidence.
Bobrowski appeared before the courts June 4.
