London, Ont. police, OPP seize 31 crime guns of U.S. origin and 12.5 kg of fentanyl

OPP and London police held a joint news conference regarding Project Alias, targeting illegal guns and drugs. Bryan Bicknell reports.

A year-long London, Ont.-based investigation into the alleged trafficking of illegal firearms, fentanyl and cocaine has concluded.

On Jan. 14 multiple police services executed 14 search warrants on nine residences and five vehicles throughout London and Toronto.

A total of 214 charges have been laid against 11 people who police say are associated with multiple criminal networks. Investigators also seized drugs with an estimated street value of more than $2 million.

According to police, the amount of fentanyl seized works out to 125,000 potentially lethal street-level doses.

“Thirty-one prohibited crime guns that could have inflicted an enormous amount of harm into innocent people and communities here in London and across this province. We seized 125,000 street level doses of fentanyl, which could have been fatal. That represents a quarter of the population of the city of London,” said OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique.

In the fall of 2024, London Police Service (LPS) started an investigation into increased violence involving firearms.

As the LPS investigation progressed, police said the involvement of illegal firearms and the scope of the identified criminal networks prompted the launch of Project ALIAS in January 2025.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-led Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit (PWEU) and the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB) were brought in to work with London police on this intelligence-led investigation.

At a press conference held in London on Thursday morning, investigators said they identified multiple criminal networks allegedly capable of sourcing illegal firearms and high-capacity magazines, as well as large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.

“This community feels when shootings occur. They’re impacted. They don’t actually see and feel all the shootings that we prevented from this,” Chief Thai Truong said.

Police said the investigation also revealed collaboration between these independently operated criminal networks, and while multiple criminal networks were identified, the involved individuals are not associated with a single, known organized crime group or network.

As investigators analyzed the roles of individuals within the identified criminal networks, evidence showed that while most of the activity involved the trafficking of firearms and drugs within Ontario, two individuals were allegedly involved in sourcing firearms from the United States.

According to police, the criminal networks were also allegedly involved in high-level domestic trafficking of large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine. Initial analysis of the seized fentanyl indicated that, while the purity was relatively high, it had been mixed with other substances. As a result, the product was not pure fentanyl and potency varied.

Connection to 2024 LHSC shooting

Police revealed the investigation into the shooting at London Health Sciences Centre’s emergency department in December 2024 overlapped with a previous multi-jurisdictional investigation known as Project Wrangler.

“This investigation was borne out of the LHSC shooting,” said Truong. “Other individuals that were involved in the shooting that were not arrested in Project Wrangler formed part of this investigation.”

Items seized

• 31 crime guns
• 25 prohibited devices, including over-capacity magazines and auto switches
• Imitation firearm
• 12.5 kg suspected fentanyl
• 4.5 kg suspected cocaine
• 275 oxycodone pills
• 460 hydromorphone pills
• 75 alprazolam pills
• CAN $64,000
• Two vehicles as offence-related property
• High-end jewellery
• Cell phones and electronic devices

List of people charged

Of the eleven people charged, seven are from London. The remainder are from Stoney Creek, North York, and Toronto. They range in age from 20 to 28.

“Two of the individuals face importation related charges. The remaining accused are before the courts on charges that reflect their own alleged roles within the domestic criminal networks operating in and around London,” said Det. Insp. Jeff Brazeau

With files from CTV News London’s Bryan Bicknell