It’s funny to think the post office is one of the biggest drug delivery services not only in North America, but worldwide. It’s a means to provide certain goods to a client, whether those goods are illegal or not, criminals expediting packages do not care. We’re willing to bet more than half of drug dealers on Canada’s streets have used Canada Post as a delivery service at least once in their lifetime. It’s the perfect tool, some post offices don’t even ask for ID. Such was the case for drug a trafficking network stemming from Toronto’s Rexdale neighborhood and branching out all the way to Manitoba and even as far as Newfoundland.
This morning (15/08/2024) Toronto Police Services (TPS) held a news conference, telling the media how they have arrested 32 individuals in an inter-provincial police operation. These arrests were the fruits of an 11-month operation which started in September of 2023, and concluded in July of 2024. The operation was named ‘Project Foxxx’ and was meant to disrupt a Rexdale street gang known as the ‘Jamestown Crips’. A sum of 158 charges had been laid out to these 32 individuals ranging from the ages of 16 all the way to 55-years-old.
The street gang used Canada Post in order to ship drugs within several provinces across Canada, most notably for drug trafficking rings in the town of Thompson, Manitoba and the city of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Authorities had to work hand in hand with Canada Post to dismantle this elaborate drug trafficking ring and intercept several packages. TPS are expecting 5 more individuals prominent to this operation to turn themselves in, communicating with these individual’s lawyers. The 32 people accused have already had their court date. In total, 37 people were targeted by police due to this operation.
Beginning in April of this year, police started executing search warrants around several cities in the region of Southwest Ontario. In the 4 following months, Toronto Police Services (TPS) carried out 35 different search warrants in the following cities and towns with the help of several different RCMP branches and local police services…
- Toronto, Ontario
- Vaughan, Ontario
- Mississauga, Ontario
- Brampton, Ontario
- Hamilton, Ontario
- Guelph, Ontario
- Thompson, Manitoba
These search warrants yielded 9 firearms, 4.7 kilograms of cocaine (Estimated street value of 568,000$), 6 kilograms of methamphetamine (Estimated street value of 480,000$) and 320,000$ in cash money. This is the sum of all the drugs and cash seized from the 35 search warrants.
Police decided to target this specific criminal organization as it is a ‘longstanding’ street gang that has been prevalent for quite a while in the Rexdale borough of Toronto. Part of why they took on this operation is the fact that they have seen an increase in crime in that specific neighborhood. Hence, setting their sights on the Jamestown Crips.
In the news conference this morning, Toronto police inspector, Paul Krawczyk, had mentioned to the media that even though this was a rather large crackdown of the street gang, it will only disrupt the flow of the criminal organization’s business and the street gang will not ‘cease’ to exist. It’s important to note that out of 32 arrests, 29 of the individuals hailed from Southwest Ontario, while 2 of the individuals came from Manitoba and one from Alberta.
As with many operations Toronto Police Services have initiated in the past, they accomplished this with help from several other different organizations. It is a long list which consists of several different RCMP and local police branches, even including the VIA Rail Police Service as well as Canada Post as mentioned previously. Here’s the list of organizations which helped bring a conclusion to this operation…
- Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
- Homeland Security Investigations: Border Enforcement Security Task Force
- Canada Post: Security & Investigative Services/Illicit Drug Interdiction Team
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): D Division (General Investigation Section) Thompson, Manitoba
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Golden Horseshoe (Combined Forces Special Enforcement Agency)
- Royal Newfoundland Constabulary: Weapons & Drug Enforcement Unit
- Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario
- Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)
- Hamilton Police Service
- South Simcoe Police Service
- Thunder Bay Police Service
- York Regional Police
- Peel Regional Police
- Financial Transactions & Report Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)
- VIA Rail Canada Police Service
Authorities noted how they had not intercepted packages containing firearms, but would not be surprised if some of the suspects utilized postal services in means of firearms trafficking.
The long list of individuals arrested and their charges are as listed below…
- Alexandra Antami, a 27-year-old Toronto resident.
2 counts of being in possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine & fentanyl) with intent to distribute, possession of proceeds of crime under 5,000$ & possession of a prohibited device.
- Christopher Newton, a 40-year-old Hamilton resident.
3 counts of being in possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine, methamphetamine & fentanyl) with intent to distribute, possession of proceeds of crime over 5,000$, possession of a prohibited firearm & unauthorized possession of a firearm.
- Dave Thompson, a 55-year-old Toronto resident.
2 counts of being in possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine) with intent to distrubute, 2 counts of being in possession of proceeds of crime both over & under 5000$ and trafficking of controlled substances.
- David Anderson, 29-year-old Toronto resident.
Possession of a firearm as well as another count of being in possession of a prohibited device and more charges relating to firearms (Careless storage, carrying a loaded firearm & tampering with serial numbers).
- Dilraj Singh, 23-year-old Brampton resident.
Possession of a firearm as well as another count of being in possession of a prohibited device and more charges relating to firearms (Careless storage, carrying a loaded firearm & tampering with serial numbers).
- Ernest Twumasi-Ankrah, 28-year-old Toronto resident.
2 counts of cocaine trafficking and 1 count of conspiracy to traffic cocaine.
- Gamal Bowman, 29-year-old Toronto resident.
Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (Cocaine) and possession of a prohibited device.
- Gersan Landeros-Martinez, 31-year-old Brampton resident.
2 counts of possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized, 2 counts of possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition, cocaine trafficking and being in possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to traffic controlled substances, 3 counts of possession of proceeds obtained by crime under 5,000$ and 2 different counts in trafficking in a controlled substance for a criminal organization.
- Greg Amponsah, 29-year-old Hamilton resident.
Cocaine trafficking and being in possession of proceeds obtained from crime under 5,000$
- Jamie-Lee Baxter, 37-year-old Hamilton resident.
Posession of a firearm contrary to prohibition order, possession of a loaded firearm & possession of a prohibited device.
- Ho-Wayne Walker, 37-year-old Hamilton resident.
Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of proceeds from crime over 5,000$, being a participant of trafficking of a controlled substance for a criminal organization, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a prohibited device & possession of a firearm contrary to prohibition order.
- Javon Reid, 29-year-old Brampton resident.
Possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a prohibited device & possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order.
- Juqjuan Darling, 28-year-old Toronto resident.
Assault, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from a peace officer, mischief under 5,000$, 5 counts of failing to comply with a recognizance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (Cocaine), possession of proceeds of crime over 5,000$, cocaine trafficking, conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance & participation and commission in drug trafficking for a criminal organization.
- Juvonte Hylton, 27-year-old Toronto resident.
2 counts of possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine & fentanyl) with intent to distribute, possession of proceeds obtained from crime under 5,000$, possession of a prohibited device, trafficking of a controlled substance, weapons trafficking, possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized & possession of a loaded firearm.
- Lara Rodrigues, 24-year-old resident of Hamilton.
Possession of a loaded firearm & possession of a prohibited device.
- Nathaniel Evans, 28-year-old Toronto resident.
Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
- Olivia Browne, 27-year-old Hamilton resident.
Participation in trafficking of a controlled substance (Cocaine) for a criminal organization, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute & possession of proceeds obtained from crime over 5,000$.
- Orko Aboroh, 29-year-old Toronto resident.
Possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine) with intent to distribute.
- Prabhjot Chahal, 24-year-old Mississauga resident.
Unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a prohibited device, possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized, possession of a loaded firearm, tampering with a serial number & careless storage of a firearm.
- Roxanne Laforme, 38-year-old Hamilton resident.
2 counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
- Ryan Williams, 29-year-old Vaughan resident.
Possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine) with intent to distruibute, possession of a controlled substance (Percocet) & possession of proceeds obtained from crime under 5,000$.
- Shane Campbell, 30-year-old Hamilton resident.
Conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance.
- Shemar Lindsay, 25-year-old Guelph resident.
Conspiracy to traffic cocaine, possession of proceeds obtained from crime under 5,000$ & possession of prohibited ammunition.
- Swaleh Bashamakh, 30-year-old Toronto resident.
2 counts of possession of a firearm, 2 counts of possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition & possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine) with intent to distribute.
- Tyler Cass-Cook, 24-year-old Toronto resident.
Possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine) with intent to distribute.
- Tyrese Dacres, 25-year-old Mississauga resident.
Cocaine trafficking, conspiracy to traffic cocaine & proceeds obtained from crime over 5,000$.
- Veneranda Kyere, 32-year-old Toronto resident.
2 counts of possession of a firearm, participation in trafficking of a controlled substance for a criminal organization, 2 counts of possession of a prohibited firearm & possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine) with intent to distribute.
- Zakhi Martin, 19-year-old Toronto resident.
3 counts of possession of a controlled substance (Methamphetamine, cocaine & fentanyl) with intent to distribute, possession of proceeds obtained from crime over 5,000$, possession of a prohibited firearm including careless storage, unauthorized possession of a firearm & trafficking a controlled substance.
- Ramanjot Singh, 23-year-old resident of Edmonton, Alberta.
Unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a prohibited device, possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized, possession of a loaded firearm, tampering with a serial number & careless storage of a firearm.
- Kelsey Gunn, 32-year-old resident of Thompson, Manitoba.
Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
- John Mifflin, 37-year-old resident of Thompson, Manitoba.
2 counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute & failure to comply with an undertaking.
This concludes the lengthy list of individuals arrested and the charges they have been handed throughout Project Foxxx. A 16-year-old minor from Paris has also been charged, but due to his age, his name has been left out of the media coverage. This individual has been charged with possession of a loaded firearm as well as careless storage of the firearm and its ammunition & possession of a prohibited device.
