Police say they’ve seized more than $42 million worth of illegal cannabis in the Niagara Region, much of which was destined for the American underground market.
The bust comes out of a year-old operation called Project Woolwich, run by the Ontario Provincial Police and several policing partners.
Many of the suspects arrested were from the GTA and Niagara Region, police said, adding that their names will be released soon.
“Criminals are exploiting the Health Canada medical cannabis personal and designate production regime by diverting the cannabis to the illegal market and are profiting greatly from this illegal activity,” Det. Insp. Jim Walker of the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau said in a prepared statement.
A large amount of their cannabis came from B.C., police said on Friday.
The accused are scheduled to appear at a St. Catharines Ontario Court of Justice on Sept. 17.
The accused were involved in the production, wholesale distribution and sale of illegal cannabis, police said.
Investigators say items they’ve seized include 101,049 illegal cannabis plants, 1,921 pounds of illegal cannabis bud, 22 pounds of illegal cannabis oil, hundreds of illegal cannabis vape pens; six firearms, including an AR-15 assault rifle, grow equipment worth more than $1 million, more than $2.5 million in Canadian currency, $580,828 in U.S. currency and $379,383 in Chinese and South Korean currency.
Police say that recent testing of illegal cannabis products shows lower than advertised THC levels and also the use of banned pesticides.