In Manitoba, the Brandon Police Service achieved the biggest cocaine bust in the city’s history. The bust came as part of a joint operation with the Winnipeg police and the Manitoba Criminal Intelligence Centre under the bane “Project Banish.”
Family and Five Others Arrested Involved with Cocaine Trafficking Operation in Manitoba City Busted by Authorities
Project Banish has been ongoing since September 2021 and has resulted in information about different groups and drug traffickers. The group rounded up in this bust had been observed for some time. According to authorities, the group moved large amounts of coke from British Columbia and Ontario into Brandon.
Not only that but the operation’s organization was said to have used traffickers at the upper and mid-level to procure the drugs and couriers to transport it.
On November 21, 2022, authorities executed 11 search warrants and turned enough to see that all ten people arrested go away for a while. Police seized over $450,000 in cash, nine kilos of cocaine valued at more than $900,000, two stolen handguns, two motorcycles, a Lincoln MKS, prohibited weapons, and body armor.
In all, the value of the seizure was over $950,000—which seems low considering most of that is cocaine. As for those arrested, the ten individuals all face drug trafficking charges but nine were released.
Those nine will be due in court in December. Five of the traffickers are related: a couple and their three children. Authorities noted that the mother handled and stashed the money gained from their drug activities.
The sole person held in custody was identified as a 27-year-old man who is believed to be the leader of the group. Although the police believe that another group will pick up where this one ended, Brandon Police Service Sgt. Paul MacBeth says that the team would “do our best to discover who they are and take them down as well.”
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