More than 40 kgs of drugs — including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine — at an estimated street value of $5.4 million, were seized by Winnipeg police last month..The crackdown is the result of Project Watch Tower, an investigation launched in June in response to “concerns and complaints” from residents about heavy drug trafficking in the city’s downtown and Point Douglas areas..“Street-level enforcement and interaction by the guns and gangs unit was increased and the drug enforcement unit was asked to identify and investigate individuals who may be responsible for the increased criminality in both areas,” Insp. Elton Hall told a press conference Thursday..During the investigation police watched groups meeting on Waterfront Dr. on more than one occasion. .“On July 26 officers observed a male and female carry multiple bags, a cooler, and a heavy hockey bag into an address on Sherburn Street,” said Hall..The next day the Tactical Support Team executed a search warrant at the address and arrested an adult male and an adult female..Police seized 34.5 kgs of drugs including 28 kgs of methamphetamine, 2.7 kgs of cocaine, 5.7 kgs of cannabis, 4.2 kgs of edibles containing unknown drugs, and 18 kgs of cannabis ‘shake.’.Four other search warrants executed that day led to five more arrests and the seizure of more drugs including 6.7 kgs of methamphetamine, 2.6 kgs of cocaine, three ounces of fentanyl, and one ounce of crack cocaine..Hall said police making large drug seizures have become more common. .“This is every two months we’re seizing 30, 40, 50, 60 kilos. In the last two years, between the drug enforcement unit and the gangs unit, we’ve seized between 200 and 300 kilos.”.“In my 23 years of policing, I’m alarmed by it. It’s a lot of drugs to be coming off the street.”.“When you do a long-term project you get these type of results, but now this is what the guns and gangs and drug enforcement unit are seizing off the streets.”.“We have a clear drug problem in this country, not just in this city.”.The larger amounts of seizures are the result of a shift in policing tactics..“In the last two years we've changed our mandate here to got to mid-level trafficking and try and get large quantities of drugs off the street and make sure we're getting the right people arrested and then be there getting the proper jail time to prevent this,” said Hall. .“We still do street level enforcement. Obviously, we’re not going to change, stop that, but our focus now is mid-level trafficking.”.Hall said drug activity generally deceases for “seven to 14 days” after a seizure..“More importantly, and something we've realized in the last couple of years, when you take a large amount of drugs like this off the street, gun violence goes down.”.Police also seized a taser, a loaded 9mm Glock restricted handgun with an obliterated serial number, a loaded 3D-Printed 9mm Polymer gun without a serial number, ammunition, a prohibited threaded silencer capable of fitting both guns, a pellet gun; and $30,000 in Canadian currency..Robert Trevor Lander, 47; Mohamed Hussein Keisar 47; Guled Ali Omar Mohamed, 33; Abdurahzak Mohammed Isse, 33; and Joanna Lesley Rennicks, 53, all from Winnipeg, were charged with multiple trafficking, proceeds of crime and firearms-related offences. .Denis Michael Joseph Dostie, 57, of Stornoway, Quebec, and Tracy Lyons, 46, of Winnipeg, were charged with multiple drug trafficking, drug production and weapons-related charges..All seven remain in custody.
