Seven Mississauga Residents Charged After Guns and Grenades Seized by Police

Multiple people–including seven Mississauga residents–are facing charges in connection with a multi-jurisdiction investigation into the trafficking of illegal drugs and firearms in the Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe areas of Ontario.

The OPP say Project Renner–a project launched following a reported rise in domestically-sourced guns–began in April 2018 as a high-level Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB) investigation.

Police say it targeted an organized crime group that had allegedly been producing restricted and untraceable firearms by using unregulated parts.

Police allege this group manufactured these illegal guns for mass distribution to multiple criminal cells in Ontario.

Project Renner was conducted by the OPP-led Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit (PWEU) in partnership with the Durham Regional Police Service, Halton Regional Police Service, Hamilton Police Service, Niagara Regional Police Service, Peel Regional Police Service, and the OPP Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit.

Members of the Toronto Police Service, Barrie Police Service, London Police Service, and the RCMP took part in the takedown.

The OPP say the investigation was also supported by The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). More than 400 individual police personnel were involved in executing 39 search warrants late last week at locations across the Greater Toronto Area.

Police say officers seized 14 handguns, six long guns-including a machine gun and an assault rifle–numerous prohibited weapons and devices (including four silencers, grenades, a conducted energy weapon (stun gun) and body armour), 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, 30 grams of methamphetamine, 13 grams of heroin, 66 fentanyl tablets and $85,000 in Canadian currency.

Police also say four vehicles and a residential property were seized as offence-related property.

As part of a parallel investigation, police say officers seized three kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of fentanyl.

OPP have charged 23 people with 156 offences.

Mississauga residents charged include 53-year-old Dwayne MacKenzie, 23-year-old Tajahan Kelly, 21-year-old Lamar Andrews, 26-year-old Jonathan Sinclair, 25-year-old Jamar Quintyne, 35-year-old Acesia Ali and 34-year-old Joevannie Peart.

A 20-year-old Brampton resident, Akil Jones, is also facing charges.

Several Halton area residents are also facing charges, including 47-year-old Burlington Man Graham Allen, 26-year-old Milton man Chadwin Andrews and 25-year-old Milton man Gurpreet Singh.

The accused persons are being held in custody and are expected to appear in court in the future.

The investigation is ongoing.

“Trafficking in illegal firearms and firearms-related violence continue to threaten public safety in communities across Ontario,” say Deputy Commissioner Rick Barnum, Provincial Commander, OPP Investigations and Organized Crime.

“By taking down a criminal operation of this magnitude, we’ve prevented illegal guns from killing more even people in communities throughout the Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe areas.”