Manitoba government launches first-of-its-kind drug enforcement task force

A new task force launching in the province is aimed at curbing meth trafficking in Manitoba.

The government of Manitoba has launched the first-of-its-kind task force aimed at disrupting criminal networks and curbing the flow of illicit drugs across the province.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, joined by government officials and law enforcement representatives from multiple jurisdictions, announced the creation of the Manitoba Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Task Force on Wednesday.

“Drug traffickers have exploited and robbed Manitobans of their lives, of their safety, and of their loved ones,” Wiebe said ahead of the group’s inaugural meeting later that afternoon. “Manitobans have had enough.”

The task force is designed to strengthen intelligence sharing between police agencies and Manitoba Justice while drawing on best practices from other jurisdictions to target drug traffickers and organized crime groups more effectively. Its mandate includes developing a provincewide drug enforcement strategy, including a targeted methamphetamine sweep.

The announcement follows the NDP government’s throne speech last November, which committed to establishing a dedicated drug enforcement task force.

Canada’s “fentanyl czar,” Kevin Brosseau, will serve as an adviser to the task force. He previously spent more than 20 years with the RCMP, including as deputy commissioner in Manitoba.

The group will include senior leadership from police services in Altona, Winkler, Morden, Brandon and Winnipeg, as well as representatives from Manitoba Justice, the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Manitoba Criminal Intelligence Centre.

“No simple agency on its own, no matter how capable, can meet these challenges alone,” Brosseau said at the news conference in the Manitoba Legislative Building.

“Success depends on partnerships that are real, operational, and durable,” he said.

Assistant Commissioner Scott McMurchy said Manitoba RCMP officers have seized large quantities of drugs over the past 14 months, including 40 kilograms of cocaine, nine kilograms of methamphetamine and over 7,000 pills.

“This is just a small sample of the seizures that the RCMP have made,” McMurchy said.

Wiebe said the province is facing a “toxic drug crisis” that has devastated individuals and Manitoba communities.

Federal data reveals 370 people died in Manitoba from apparent opioid toxicity in 2024, down from 382 deaths in the previous year.

Winnipeg Police Chief Gene Bowers—who said he’s lost family members to overdoses—said the new task force will ensure investigators are not hindered by international or transnational borders.

“We know all too well that criminal networks are not impeded by jurisdictional borders, and neither are we,” Bowers said.

He said drug traffickers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their use of technology, adding authorities must keep pace to stay ahead.

In a statement, Progressive Conservative justice critic Wayne Balcaen called the move “another big, splashy announcement for the NDP with no follow-up.”

Balcaen said the PCs announced a cross-jurisdictional task force in 2018 aimed at cracking down on drug dealers. He argued the government has not outlined clear metrics for success for the new initiative, including defined deliverables, timelines or when it will report results to the legislature.

Wiebe did not specify how often the task force will meet, beyond saying it will convene on a “regular basis.” He said the group is scheduled to meet again in late March.