Four men charged in major drug, firearms trafficking operation: Halton police
Written by The Canadian Press on May 19, 2026
Four men are facing more than 30 charges after police say they dismantled a “sophisticated” drug trafficking network in the Greater Toronto Area and seized two dozen handguns.
Police in Halton Region west of Toronto say the six-month probe – dubbed Project Cyprus – targeted a network that allegedly operated in Halton, York and Durham regions and in Toronto.
Police say investigators seized 24 handguns and 20 prohibited over-capacity magazines and ammunition, which is the largest firearm seizure in the force’s history, after executing search warrants in Vaughan and Oshawa.
They say officers also seized 16.5 kilograms of cocaine, 16,000 oxycodone tablets, hydrocodone and codeine in liquid form, along with $375,000 in cash and cryptocurrency.
Police say four men ranging in age between 26 and 36 were arrested and charged with drug and firearm trafficking offences.
Police say all 24 seized handguns originated in the United States.
“Every one of these weapons represents a potential tragedy prevented. What is particularly concerning – and frankly alarming – is that all of the firearms seized in this investigation originated from the United States,” said Halton police Chief Stephen Tanner.
“We will not tolerate the trafficking of illegal firearms into our communities, and we will continue to take decisive action to stop it. We will be relentless in our efforts to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these networks before these weapons can be used to cause harm.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2026
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press