Police say Arkona bank robbers arrested as part of 'Project Opal'

OPP have released photos of three different suspects wanted in relation to a bank robbery in Arkona on April 4, 2023. (Source: Lambton OPP)

Four suspects are in custody and one other man is wanted in connection with a string of “coordinated” bank robberies across Ontario, including Arkona, over a two-year period.

At a news conference on Tuesday, police officers with several Ontario law enforcement agencies were on hand to discuss the results of the multi-jurisdictional investigation, dubbed Project Opal.

According to investigators, a group of suspects were responsible for eight bank robberies that happened in western, central, and eastern Ontario between Dec. 8, 2022 and March 16, 2024 — the Arkona robbery was April 4, 2023.

Each police service began investigating bank robberies in their respective regions and “quickly determined” that the robberies were part of a “larger, more coordinated operation,” OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns told reporters on Tuesday morning.

On June 21, 2024, police said three suspects were taken into custody after a planned robbery was interrupted by investigators.

“Officers established that an attempted robbery would take place. They ensured that the occupants of the bank were safe before conducting the arrests,” OPP Det. Insp. Brian McDermott said Tuesday.

He added that the OPP tactics and rescue unit, as well as the aviation unit, carried out the arrests with the support of Project Opal members.

A fourth suspect was arrested by police in Vaughan in September, police said, and the fifth suspect remains outstanding.

Combined, the suspects are facing more than 50 charges, including robbery and forcible confinement, police said.

Kearns said the 20 victims that were inside the banks at the time of the robberies were not physically injured.

“The individuals caught up in these terrifying events have endured significant emotional distress and trauma,” he added.

— With files from CTV News Toronto