Police shut down Manitoba-Ontario drug ring

Nine people from Winnipeg and southern Ontario have been arrested and a large amount of illicit drugs was seized following an investigation into an interprovincial drug network.

The Winnipeg Police Service organized crime unit launched their probe in December 2025 by focusing in on individuals believed to be bringing cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine and prescription opioid pills into Manitoba.

“What they uncovered was a sophisticated distribution network that exploited legitimate transportation and commercial services to move illicit drugs across provincial boundaries,” said Insp. Josh Ewatski.

“This was an organized criminal network operating across provincial boundaries, with infrastructure, resources and connections necessary to move significant quantities of illicit drugs into our communities.”

Several suspects were identified and police said they learned that the drugs were being sourced from Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, and brought to Winnipeg via passenger vehicles, courier services, postal shipments and commercial airline flights.

Once in Winnipeg, the drugs were delivered to certain properties, where they were stored and later distributed.

The Canada Border Services Agency, Ontario Provincial Police, Peel Regional Police in southern Ontario and the RCMP worked with Winnipeg police.

“Drug trafficking associated to these criminal networks continues to have devastating impacts on our communities,” OPP Det.-Supt. Andy Bradford said. “It fuels violence, exploits vulnerable individuals and generates significant profits that support broader criminal activities.”

The border agency became involved because police questioned whether some of the suspects were in Canada legally, said Jeryn Peters, the agency’s executive director for the prairie region.

“We were asked to look into their admissibility to Canada. Were they here legitimately in Canada? And do they remain admissible to Canada in light of the activities they’ve been engaged in here?” Peters said.

Under federal law, permanent residents and foreign nationals who are deemed inadmissible to the country for serious criminality are automatically deported.

Serious criminality includes any conviction in a Canadian court for a crime that carries a maximum prison sentence of at least 10 years, or any conviction that results in a sentence of more than six months.

“The criminal matters have to be resolved before we can take an action on the immigration side and pursue detention, arrest and removal,” Peters said.

In late August, Winnipeg police and other law enforcement agencies executed warrants at several locations in Winnipeg and the Greater Toronto Area.

Officers seized 29 kilograms of meth, 12 kilos of cocaine, three kilos of ketamine, two kilograms of MDMA, 1,800 tabs of LSD, 25,000 prescription pills, 31 grams of heroin, more than 200 cannabis edibles and about $126,000 in cash.

Police said, if sold in individual doses, the drugs would be worth about $970,000.

Officers also seized six firearms, ammunition, a Taser and four vehicles.

Ewatski said the crime groups responsible for the drug trade across the country prey on vulnerable populations in urban, rural, northern and Indigenous communities, adding that Canada has become a recognized source country for fentanyl and cannabis.

“Organized crime groups continue to adapt, exploiting legitimate supply chains, transportation networks, logistic facilities, financial systems, technology and border vulnerabilities to move and profit from illicit drugs and goods,” he said.

He added that combating organized crime requires a co-ordinated response across jurisdictions, including stronger partnerships, greater investment in addiction and recovery programs, improved information sharing and sustained government funding for enforcement resources and legislation.

“This includes advancing legislation such as the Lawful Access Act and strengthening (the border agency’s) capacity to intercept illicit drugs, firearms, and other contraband at our borders,” Ewatski said. “Organized crime is evolving, and our collective response must evolve with it.”

In Winnipeg, Tarundev Singh, 32, and his father, 57-year-old Devinder Singh, have been charged with various offences.

Justice officials are in the process of seizing four homes owned by the Singhs, as well as about $114,000 in cash, four vehicles and a Rolex watch. Officials allege they either used the items to commit crimes or the items were obtained with money they made by committing crime. A civil property forfeiture lawsuit was filed in September.

Also arrested in Winnipeg and charged with various offences are: Amandeep Singh, 47; Mandeep Singh Dutta, 37; Karanvir Singh, 24; and Maganpreet Boparai, 25.

Tarnvir Sandhu, 37, Karan Joshi, 34, and Manjinder Singh Sagoo, 43, were arrested and charged in Ontario.

scott.billeck@winnipegfreepress.com

erik.pindera@winnipegfreepress.com