OPP officials allege: Three people are facing charges and three illegal cannabis dispensaries have been shut down in London following a joint police investigation, provincial police say.
In June 2026, the Ontario Provincial Police-led Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET) and the London Police Service began investigating three illegal dispensaries operating under the name “Sewatohkwat,” which police say were operating without authorization from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario or Health Canada.
On Thursday, July 16, 2026, PJFCET and London police, with help from the OPP Community Street Crime Unit and OPP Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team, executed three search warrants at locations on Richmond Street, Wellington Street and Dundas Street. Investigators seized illegal cannabis, illegal cannabis products and contraband tobacco with an estimated value of $208,000, along with $7,700 in Canadian currency as proceeds of crime, police say.
The storefronts have been shut down and will be held under Interim Closure Orders under section 18(1) of the Cannabis Control Act. Anyone, including the owners, who wants to enter the premises must apply to the Superior Court of Justice for permission under section 18(4) of the act. Unauthorized entry could result in break-and-enter charges under section 348(1) of the Criminal Code.
A 26-year-old woman, a 31-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman, all of London, were each charged with possession of proceeds obtained by crime under $5,000, possessing tobacco for the purpose of sale that was not stamped, possessing cannabis for the purpose of selling, and possessing illicit cannabis.
The accused were released from custody and are scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in London on Friday, September 18, 2026, Friday, October 16, 2026, and Wednesday, September 16, 2026, respectively.
Police are asking anyone with information about illegal cannabis sales to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
Police note that only cannabis purchased through the Ontario Cannabis Store or an Ontario-authorized retailer is legal, and that buying from unauthorized dealers is a crime. Profits from illegal cannabis sales are often used to finance other criminal activity, including drug and firearms trafficking and human trafficking, police say.
The PJFCET is an OPP-led joint forces operation that also includes members of the Niagara Regional Police Service, Durham Regional Police Service, London Police Service and Windsor Police Service, tasked with investigating illegal cannabis production, sale, distribution and import or export.
