Winnipeg police have charged two more men in connection with a months-long investigation into a high-level, interprovincial cocaine trafficking network that’s already seen several people charged and millions of dollars in drugs, assets, and proceeds of crime seized.
The investigation, dubbed Project Gold Dust, began in May of last year and culminated in raids involving 144 police officers in three cities across two provinces in February and the previous arrests of nine Winnipeggers and two men from British Columbia.
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Police in Manitoba, B.C., seize $11 million in assets in shutting down massive drug ring
Throughout the investigation, police learned of a group of local drug traffickers who called themselves ‘The Company’ and were allegedly importing large quantities of cocaine into Winnipeg from British Columbia and distributing it through a sophisticated network, sending large sums of money back to B.C.
Among contraband seized by police in Manitoba were 17 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of $1.7 million, three ounces of ecstasy, and 21 pounds of pot.
Millions of dollars in cash, more than $100,000 in cryptocurrency, Rolex watches and jewelry, as well as firearms, computers, vehicles and multiple properties with a value of more than $4 million were also seized.
Across the two provinces, the combined value of seized cash, assets, and proceeds of crime totaled over $11 million, police have said.
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Drug bust nets big meth, fentanyl haul for Winnipeg cops
On Thursday police Winnipeg announced the arrests of two more suspects linked to the investigation.
Two men aged 25 and 23 are each charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence – trafficking cocaine, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence – proceeds of crime over $5,000. A 2015 Infinity Q50 was also seized as offence-related property, police say.
–With files from Sam Thompson
