updated: windsor-led international investigation seizes 1.7 tonnes of drugs in massive ontario bust
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ontario provincial police detective superintendent andy bradford speaks during a press conference on thursday, july 23, 2026 at windsor city hall regarding a massive drug bust.
dan janisse
a massive organized drug smuggling operation has been hobbled with the seizure of 1.7 tonnes of dangerous narcotics — and an anti-take rifle — following an international probe led by windsor police.
police said the drugs seized during what has been dubbed project bay are worth $139 million, causing a “significant disruption” to the illegal drug supply chain in ontario.
they call it one of the most significant drug seizures in a single investigation in ontario. and they’re not done.
windsor mayor drew dilkens said the arrests should send a clear message to gangsters and criminals. it’s open season on organized crime.
“i would be very scared if i were involved in illegal organized crime in the city of windsor,” he told reporters during a media conference at windsor city hall.
“you can see the coordination of all of the law enforcement working together. they are coming for you.”
police have arrested 19 people, with two more suspects still on the run. one of the suspects is from lasalle. five are from windsor.
windsor police chief jason crowley said investigations like project bay rarely end with a single case, describing organized crime networks as operations that “run very deep.”
“this investigation may be a conclusion now, but it does lead to other criminal organizations and organized crime,” he said. “this work is never done, but certainly, as you can see, it’s a very large dent in someone’s business.”
ontario provincial police chief superintendent mike stoddart speaks during a press conference on thursday, july 23, 2026 at windsor city hall regarding a massive drug bust.
dan janisse
the massive project was sparked by a windsor police drug trafficking probe that began in january 2025.
the following month, they joined forces with the canada border services agency (cbsa) to help identify a cross-border trafficking network.
as the scope and complexity of the investigation expanded, they called in the ontario provincial police (opp) to help with the cross-border and interprovincial aspects of the investigations.
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as the investigation continued to expand, u.s. agencies including homeland security investigations (hsi) and the drug enforcement administration came on board.
the toronto police service (tps) and peel regional police (prp) also provided operational and investigative support.
with the help of many policing partners, crowley said they “were able to dismantle a network that was moving dangerous drugs and firearms into communities across the province and putting public safety at risk.”
opp acting det. supt. andy bradford said the group in this case was “very organized.”
“i would describe it as transnational in scope and very organized,” bradford told reporters. “i do think we’ve made a significant dent.”
“the investigation remains ongoing. i can tell you that the scope of this drug trafficking network extends into the southwestern united states, and we’ll continue to work with our american partners.”
windsor police said the investigation uncovered a “broker-style model” within the commercial transportation sector. investigators said the scheme leveraged established connections to facilitate the cross-border movement of illegal drugs, including the arrangement of drivers to knowingly transport illicit narcotics within legitimate supply chains.
on june 25, police from multiple agencies executed 18 search warrants at businesses and houses in windsor, corunna, lasalle, brampton and kleinburg.
windsor, ont. 2026, july 23, 2026 — windsor police led a cross-border drug trafficking investigation that resulted in the seizure of nearly 1.7 tonnes of illegal drugs, including suspected cocaine, methamphetamine and opium. (photo courtesy – ontario provincial police)
two more search warrants were executed in markham and caledon on july 14. on monday, officers ran two more search warrants in brampton.
throughout the investigation, police said they seized 973 kg of suspected cocaine, 660 kg of suspected methamphetamine, 49 kg of opium and 230 oxycodone tablets.
“it is quite startling to see that this amount of drugs was taken in one particular project, and as you heard today, it’s not over,” said dilkens. “this is the start of something. there are large, likely other tentacles to this network that need to be dismantled.”
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police also allegedly seized 17 firearms along with ammunition and other prohibited devices and weapons including brass knuckles, magazines and a baton.
one of the firearms was an anti-tank rifle.
“this is a lahti l-39 .50-calibre anti-tank rifle,” said bradford. “it is very rare. what i would tell you is that this is a military ordinance. it has no legitimate civilian application and the fact that it’s in the hands of organized drug traffickers is a concerning public safety issue.”
windsor police deputy chief kenneth cribley, left, windsor mayor drew dilkens, chief jason crowley and deputy chief karel degraaf pose with seized drugs during a press conference on thursday, july 23, 2026 at windsor city hall.
dan janisse
on top of that, police said they found $80,000 in canadian cash and $10,000 in american currency. other seized items included vehicles, high-end jewelry, money counters, 43 cell phones and six laptops.
the opp provincial asset forfeiture unit is also investigating any potential proceeds of crime offences and assisting in the seizure of offence-related property.
crowley said there is reason for concern about organized crime operating in the region. but rather than strike fear, he said thursday’s announcement should reassure the public.
“look at what we’re surrounded by here today,” he said, gesturing to the drugs and guns seized during the investigation.
“the best takeaway for our community is that police are on top of this. this doesn’t stop here.”
police have charged 21 people with a total of 102 charges. two of the suspects are still at large.
police said the cocaine is not produced domestically. international drug trafficking networks smuggled it into the county.
windsor police led a cross-border drug trafficking investigation that resulted in the seizure of nearly 1.7 tonnes of illegal drugs, including suspected cocaine, methamphetamine and opium. (photo courtesy – ontario provincial police)
investigators added that methamphetamine seized in recent opp investigations also originates from multiple sources. it is either produced in clandestine domestic laboratories or imported into canada.
“this seizure reflects the scale of criminal activity that crosses borders and impacts communities across ontario,” said opp chief supt. mike stoddart. “by removing more than a metric tonne of illegal drugs and multiple firearms from circulation, we have significantly disrupted the flow of harmful substances, prevented community harm and removed substantial profits from the criminal economy.”
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so far this year, the cbsa said it has seized more than 206 guns and 5,555 kg of illegal drugs at land ports of entry in southern ontario.
“the canada border services agency works with domestic and international enforcement partners to prevent illegal drugs from entering canada and disrupt criminal network,” said michael prosia, the cbsa’s regional director general for southern ontario. “border services officers are canada’s first line of defence, keeping communities safe from illegal drugs and organized crime.”
anyone with any information about illegal firearms or the possession, manufacturing or trafficking of illicit drugs should contact the opp at 1-888-310-1122 or crime stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (tips) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
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