Seventeen people are facing charges and hundreds of illegal firearms were seized following a multi-jurisdictional investigation by Ontario Provincial Police and U.S. Homeland Security that yielded the largest illegal gun bust in the province’s history.
At a press conference on Feb. 22 at the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) headquarters in Orillia, Ont., the agencies outlined the results of their investigation, showcasing an extensive display of items seized, including 274 illegal firearms. This seizure, numbering 168 guns in the United States and 106 guns in Ontario, marks the largest of its kind in the province for handguns and rifles.
The seizures were “particularly alarming” because of the nature of the weapons found, said OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns during the conference. He noted that some weapons were modified to fire multiple rounds at the single pull of a trigger and extended magazines were among the items seized.
OPP Det.-Insp. Lee Fulford said that Project Saxom, the Canadian side of the investigation, aimed to infiltrate individuals planning to smuggle firearms into the Greater Toronto Area.
He said that additional suspects from several criminal networks were identified, leading to the discovery of five separate criminal networks trafficking illegal weapons in the region.
“Through our investigation, those five networks that we infiltrated - we are very confident that we have disrupted those groups,” he said.
“There are obviously, in the province, a lot more groups that are involved in illicit drug trafficking and firearms trafficking,” he added.
In Ontario, the execution of 17 search warrants in the GTA and Niagara Region resulted in the seizure of the guns and drugs. The OPP arrested sixteen suspects in the investigation, with one suspect still at large, and laid 279 charges related to Project Saxom.
Fulford detailed that of the more than 100 firearms seized in Ontario, 88 were illegal handguns, including AK and AR pistols, some converted to fire automatic rounds. He highlighted that the vast majority of the guns seized originated from the United States, expressing alarm at the rapid resale of firearms upon entering the province.
“Our investigation revealed that the firearm suppliers would obtain lists of available firearms for sale. Within days, or even sometimes hours, all of the illegal firearms would be sold,” Mr. Fulford said.
The OPP also seized 1,700 rounds of ammunition and large quantities of methamphetamine, high-potency fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and magic mushrooms as a part of Project Saxom.
South of the border, HSI Buffalo Special Agent Matthew Scarpino, leading Dual Approach, the American side of the investigation, said it aimed to disrupt a “transnational criminal organization” operating between the United States and Canada.
“The criminal network sought to establish a firearm smuggling pipeline from the United States, specifically Florida, into Ontario, Canada utilizing international ports of entry in Buffalo, Niagara Region,” Mr. Scarpino said.
He detailed that the investigation included multiple undercover operations, resulting in the arrest of a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen accused of travelling to Florida with the intent of trafficking guns into Canada.
