Drugs found at kids playland, 19 from Brampton busted as international trafficking ring smashed, police release all names

The smashing of a drug syndicate, with ties to the U.S. and India, has led to charges against 25 people in Ontario, mostly from Brampton. Some of the drugs were found at kids indoor playground.

York Regional Police, along with other law enforcement agencies, say “Project Cheetah” began a year ago when investigators began following a large network of drug trade that involved importing cocaine, heroin, opium and ketamine into Canada. The drugs were distributed across the country through a sophisticated system run by the traffickers, say police.

On April 8, police in Ontario, British Columbia and California executed more than 50 search warrants, resulting in 33 people charged in total with more than 130 criminal offences.

Officers seized approximately $2.3 million worth of drugs including: Ten kilograms of cocaine, eight kilograms of ketamine, three kilograms of heroin and 2.5 kilograms of opium. Investigators also seized 48 firearms and $730,000 in Canadian currency.

“Of particular concern when we look at heroin, a very insidious drug causing great harm to our community, a number of kilograms are alleged to be seized from a playland in Brampton,” York police Inspector Ryan Hogan said in a statement. “This puts children at risk.”

Most of the weapons were seized from a location in Caledon. Police say the guns were lawfully possessed by a person who now faces charges.

“They have been seized as a result of a serious threat to public safety under provisions that are afforded to us by the Criminal Code,” said Hogan.

Here are the Brampton residents who have been charged:

Parshotem Malhi, age 54

• Trafficking Methamphetamine
• Six counts of Trafficking Heroin
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Heroin
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Methamphetamine
• Six counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
• Possession of Identity Documents

Rupinder Dhillion, age 37

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Heroin
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Methamphetamine

Sanveer Singh, age 25

• Failure to Comply with Order
• Possession of a Controlled Substance

Haripal Nagra, age 45

• Trafficking – Heroin
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Opium 

Hassam Syed, age 30

• Trafficking – Heroin
• Possession – Heroin
• Possession – Methamphetamine

Pritpal Singh, age 56

• Trafficking – Heroin
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Heroin
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
• Possession of a Controlled Substance – Opium
• Three counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime 
• Possession of Counterfeit Money

Harkiran Singh, age 33

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Heroin
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime

Lakhpreet Brar, age 29

• Three counts of Trafficking Ketamine 
• Trafficking Heroin
• Three counts of Trafficking Opium 
• Conspiracy to Traffic Ketamine 
• Conspiracy to Traffic Heroin
• Conspiracy to Traffic Opium 
• Four counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime 

Balwinder Dhaliwal, age 60

• Two counts of Trafficking Cocaine 
• Two counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
• Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine

Sukhmanpreet Singh, age 23

• Possession of a Controlled Substance – Heroin

Khushal Bhinder, age 36

• Trafficking Cocaine
• Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Opium
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime

Prabhjeet Mundian, age 34

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Opium
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime

Vansh Arora, age 24

• Trafficking Cocaine
• Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Opium
• Careless Storage of Ammunition

Simranjeet Narang, age 28

• Trafficking Opium
• Two counts of Trafficking Cocaine 
• Conspiracy to Traffic Opium
• Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine 
• Three counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime 

Gaganpreet Gill, age 28

• Trafficking Cocaine

Sukjit Dhaliwal, age 47

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Heroin
• Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine
• Possession of a Controlled Substance – Oxycodone

Chinedu Ajoku, age 51

• Trafficking Heroin

Harjot Singh, age 31

• Two counts of Trafficking Heroin 
• Trafficking Methamphetamine

Sukhjit Dhugga, age 35

• Trafficking Ketamine
• Conspiracy to Traffic Ketamine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Ketamine
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime

Residents of Toronto, Vaughan, Caledon and Woodstock also face charges

Police are also searching for one other man

Gurbinder Sooch, 41, of no fixed address who is facing the following charges:

• Five counts of Trafficking Ketamine 
• Four counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime 
• Conspiracy to Traffic Ketamine 
• Trafficking Opium
• Two counts of Trafficking Heroin 
• Conspiracy to Import Heroin
• Fail to Comply with Release Order

Police from Peel as well as the RCMP and U.S. agents were also involved in the investigation.