The Toronto Police Service (TPS) seized 62 firearms — 94% of which came from the United States — after a months-long investigation into an alleged criminal enterprise..“While we are here to show the public the results of a successful investigation, this is not a good news story,” Police Chief James Ramer said during a news conference at TPS headquarters on Monday morning. “We should all be disturbed by gun seizure of this magnitude.”.Six people were also arrested as a part of the investigation, known as 'Project Barbell.' Police ultimately executed a series of search warrants at addresses and vehicles associated with the suspects on May 28..These search warrants lead to the seizure of 62 firearms, ammunition, firearm parts, and a bulletproof vest. Of the 62 firearms seized, police say that they were able to trace 57 of them back to the United States..Only one firearm originated in Ontario. Police determined it was stolen during a break-and-enter back in 2021..Three of the firearms were AK-type rifles — one of which was loaded with 61 rounds of ammunition — while 15 rifles were “AR-15 type carbine style rifles.”.Supt. Steve Watts said he believed the firearms seized by police were intended to be resold within the Greater Toronto Area. He added that the Canada-US border gun trade is about a "return on investment.".“If you are paying under $1,000, which you would be paying in the U.S., and you can turn that into $6,000, you are looking at about $5,000 profit per item," he said..In total, police laid 260 charges against the six suspects taken into custody. One of them, 27-year-old Syed Mohammed Ali Zaidi, faces additional charges in relation to a shooting that took place inside Bar Karma near Queen and Portland streets on Oct. 19, 2021..“This incident happened in a crowded bar after an altercation between two opposing groups. Evidence at the time was circumstantial. Consequently, Mr. Zaidi was not charged at that time,” Watts said. “After he was arrested in relation to this project, our centralized shooting response team investigators were able to confirm him as their shooting suspect specifically by specific tattoos and physical descriptors.”.Toronto Mayor John Tory called the case an “excellent piece of police work.” He added that more work must be done to reduce the flows of guns that come into Canada via the United States..“I think we can't rely on local police services to find the people trafficking these guns. That means they're already here and the best place to cut this off is at the border, to stop the guns from coming across from the US, which is where they're coming from,” he said. “Perhaps we could work with the Government of Canada to do more of this. It is a border matter. But it is a serious, serious problem and it is leading to death and trauma in communities.”
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) seized 62 firearms — 94% of which came from the United States — after a months-long investigation into an alleged criminal enterprise..“While we are here to show the public the results of a successful investigation, this is not a good news story,” Police Chief James Ramer said during a news conference at TPS headquarters on Monday morning. “We should all be disturbed by gun seizure of this magnitude.”.Six people were also arrested as a part of the investigation, known as 'Project Barbell.' Police ultimately executed a series of search warrants at addresses and vehicles associated with the suspects on May 28..These search warrants lead to the seizure of 62 firearms, ammunition, firearm parts, and a bulletproof vest. Of the 62 firearms seized, police say that they were able to trace 57 of them back to the United States..Only one firearm originated in Ontario. Police determined it was stolen during a break-and-enter back in 2021..Three of the firearms were AK-type rifles — one of which was loaded with 61 rounds of ammunition — while 15 rifles were “AR-15 type carbine style rifles.”.Supt. Steve Watts said he believed the firearms seized by police were intended to be resold within the Greater Toronto Area. He added that the Canada-US border gun trade is about a "return on investment.".“If you are paying under $1,000, which you would be paying in the U.S., and you can turn that into $6,000, you are looking at about $5,000 profit per item," he said..In total, police laid 260 charges against the six suspects taken into custody. One of them, 27-year-old Syed Mohammed Ali Zaidi, faces additional charges in relation to a shooting that took place inside Bar Karma near Queen and Portland streets on Oct. 19, 2021..“This incident happened in a crowded bar after an altercation between two opposing groups. Evidence at the time was circumstantial. Consequently, Mr. Zaidi was not charged at that time,” Watts said. “After he was arrested in relation to this project, our centralized shooting response team investigators were able to confirm him as their shooting suspect specifically by specific tattoos and physical descriptors.”.Toronto Mayor John Tory called the case an “excellent piece of police work.” He added that more work must be done to reduce the flows of guns that come into Canada via the United States..“I think we can't rely on local police services to find the people trafficking these guns. That means they're already here and the best place to cut this off is at the border, to stop the guns from coming across from the US, which is where they're coming from,” he said. “Perhaps we could work with the Government of Canada to do more of this. It is a border matter. But it is a serious, serious problem and it is leading to death and trauma in communities.”
