Seven people from northeastern Ontario arrested in Project Skylark

Big crackdown on biker activity VIDEO: Police reveal details of Project Skylark involving 15 arrests and almost 200 charges laid. Dana Roberts reports.

Update:

CTV News has learned more about the recent crackdown on biker activity that involved several Ontario police agencies, including Greater Sudbury Police Services.

New details on Project Skylark, a 14-month long investigation, unveiled on Wednesday saw 15 people charged with nearly 200 offences.

The multi-jurisdictional investigation focussed on drug trafficking involving individuals in outlaw motorcycle gangs, such as the Hells Angels Nomads, Red Devils and Hooligans motorcycle clubs.

"In Sudbury, we don't have a specific chapter, however, we do have members who reside in Sudbury and this investigation was able to target that individual," said GSPS Inspector John Somerset.

Around 6 am on August 1, multiple search warrants were executed at five locations across Greater Sudbury, including a gas station in the News Sudbury neighbourhood.

Locally, police seized $420,000 of drugs, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Multiple guns and $50,000 in cash were also seized.

"If you look at the geographics and the difference in populations that you see from Blind River to Sudbury to Ottawa to Niagara Falls and virtually everything in between, it speaks to how coordinated they are, how organized they are," said Ontario Provincial Police Superintendent Bryan MacKillop.

Police say this bust will be felt heavily by the organizations.

"This will have a significant impact in Sudbury. Although we don't have a chapter, as I said, they do control the illicit drug distribution and they have created a puppet chapter to help them with that. So, this will effectively neutralize them," said Somerset.

Seven of the people charged in this operation are from northeastern Ontario.

All charges laid so far in the investigation were made in Sudbury, so all suspects are expected to appear in Sudbury court.

Original:

Last week, Sudbury police were a part of a large drug trafficking investigation involving several motorcycle clubs and two other Ontario communities.

Numerous arrests and search warrants were executed Thursday, August 1 and the details have been kept to a minimum.

Now, the Ontario Provincial Police Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau are outlining the results of the multi-jurisdictional investigation. See video above.

OPP officials say details of a 14-month investigation into the trafficking of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout the Niagara, Sudbury and Ottawa regions involving members of outlaw motorcycle gangs will be released.

CTV News Northern Ontario is working on the full report.