THUNDER BAY - A Thunder Bay police operation aimed at targeting drug trafficking and gang-related activity in the community has resulted in more than 40 arrests.
Officers with the Thunder Bay Police force spoke with media personnel Friday afternoon to release the results of a three-month long operation called Project Trapper that began last fall.
The street value estimate of drugs seized from the project amounted to more than $270,000, according to a Thunder Bay police media release.
“There has been 46 arrests and out of the 46 arrests here locally, 15 of them have been from the GTA area,” Thunder Bay Police Service Det. John Fennell said, adding individuals from southern Ontario coming into the community to participate in drug activity continues to be a problem for police.
“They are still a presence here, they are still active and they are still dealing drugs in our communities,” he said. “This drug activity is taking over communities, it’s strong, it’s here and it’s very, very difficult to get rid of it.”
The investigation resulted in 46 arrests with 32 people being criminally charged. Of the GTA suspects arrested, three were youths.
“Some individuals were arrested more than once during the course of this investigation,” Fennell said.
Drugs seized during the project include 813 grams of cocaine, 774 grams of crack, 34 grams of fentanyl, 1,322 fentanyl pills, three grams of methamphetamine, 13 pills of oxycodone and 123 cartons of illegal cigarettes. The currency seized totals more than $131,000.
The arrests came as a result of 10 executed warrants.
Although the drug operation showed results, Sgt. Dan Irwin with the Thunder Bay Police Drug intelligence unit says drug trafficking is still a problem.
“It’s a continuous cycle, as soon as we arrest individuals they are back filled with new recruits to take over the business,” Irwin said.
He explains in some circumstances, individuals looking to sell drugs will come into the community and take advantage of vulnerable people struggling financially.
“I’m going to refer to maybe a young female that has an addiction problem that has maybe lost their kids and is from a northern community, she has no family support here and somebody with lots of money comes into town, starts flashing some money around, buys them nice clothes and supplies them with drugs and from there it’s ‘can we use your place? Here is some more drugs, here is some more money’ and they take advantage that way,” he said, adding there is usually threats and intimidation that go along.
“And now they are scared and scared to go to police,” he said. “It’s important if they don’t want to come forward then a family member can come forward and tell us what is going on.”
Members of the Thunder Bay Police Service partnered with other northern police agencies during this project including the Ontario Provincial Police Force, Anishinabek Police Service, and the Nishnawbe Aksi Police Service. The Ministry of Finance Compliance Branch was also a partner agency to assist with offences committed against the Tobacco Act.
