Guns, cocaine seized by cops in three Mississauga traffic stops; six people charged

Four men face numerous gun and drug charges while two other people are charged with drug trafficking after a specially trained squad of police officers made arrests in three separate Mississauga investigations this past weekend.

Two of the takedowns took place Friday on Acorn Place in the Highway 403/Hurontario Street area of the city. In each case, police recovered guns and cocaine.

In the first, officers with the Peel Regional Police Strategic Tactical Enforcement Policing team pulled over a vehicle on the busy neighbourhood street that’s lined with highrise apartments and townhouses.

Three men and a woman, all of Mississauga, were arrested after a brief police investigation.

The STEP team is a specially trained unit of Peel police officers that patrols the streets in search of criminals who pose specific threats to the public, particularly those that involve guns and other violence.

In the second incident on Acorn Place last Friday, a Mississauga man was arrested and charged after police stopped another vehicle.

On Saturday, STEP officers pulled over a car in the area of Matheson Boulevard East and Satellite Drive, near highways 401 and 427 and just south of Toronto Pearson Airport.

A Toronto man was charged in that incident.

Keegan Gabriel, 39, and Quinton Kelly, 25, both of Mississauga, each face a rash of charges in connection with the first investigation. Charges both men face include:

• unauthorized possession of firearm
• possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
• carry concealed weapon
• possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine

Both were held for bail hearings.

Adrinho Smith, 18, and Kierra Eustache-Cassonova, 25, both of Mississauga, each face a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, also in connection with the first police investigation.

They’ll appear in Brampton court at a later date.

Randall McKoy, 30, of Mississauga, faces numerous charges in relation to the second police probe.

Among other offences, he’s charged with:

• unauthorized possession of firearm
• possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
• careless storage of firearm
• possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine

He was held pending a bail hearing.

Omari Statterswaite, 43, of Toronto, faces charges in connection with the Saturday police stop near the airport.

Charges against him include:

• unauthorized possession of firearm
• possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
• carry concealed weapon
• possession of firearm contrary to order (three counts)
• having care and control of a motor vehicle with cannabis readily accessible

He was also held pending a bail hearing.

Those with information on any of these investigations is asked to call police at 905-453-2121, ext. 3504, or Peel Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.