OPP officials allege: More than $1.9 million worth of illegal drugs have been seized and 25 individuals are facing nearly 200 charges following a sweeping 16-month police investigation targeting drug trafficking operations in Northern Ontario.
Dubbed Project SATURATE, the operation was launched in January 2024 by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Provincial Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team in partnership with the Greater Sudbury Police Service’s Drug Enforcement Unit. Investigators focused on the flow of illicit substances—including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxycodone—from the Greater Toronto Area to Sudbury and surrounding northern communities.
Police identified two GTA-based street gangs as the central players in the distribution network. Through extensive surveillance and intelligence gathering, officers linked the groups to large-scale trafficking of controlled substances into northeastern Ontario.
The investigation culminated in two major enforcement actions. On May 8, 2025, search warrants were executed in Sudbury, Mississauga, and Hamilton. A second wave of raids followed on May 29, with additional warrants carried out across Sudbury, Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Pickering, and Toronto.
The coordinated efforts involved a range of specialized units from multiple police services, including tactical and emergency response teams, digital forensics, weapons enforcement, organized crime units, and community street crime teams from across the province.
In total, 22 suspects were taken into custody, with arrest warrants issued for three more individuals. Investigators laid a combined 197 charges under the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Seized items included 12 kilograms of suspected cocaine, 7.3 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, more than 1,000 methamphetamine tablets, thousands of oxycodone pills, as well as firearms, prohibited devices, digital scales, electronics, and over $260,000 in cash. Police also seized a vehicle and a boat as offence-related property and proceeds of crime.
Police continue to encourage members of the public with information related to illegal firearms or drug trafficking to contact the OPP or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
