By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 12, 2012 This was a big one. A total of nine people charged with multiple offences during what the police called project “Commute”.
Police had an undercover officer make multiple purchases of cocaine from a trafficker in Halton Region. Subsequent investigation revealed this illegal activity was supported by an organized network of individuals.
Monday June 11, Halton Police arrested a number of people and exercised search warrants at several residences in Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton and Toronto. The police have been at this one for more than eleven months, following leads and getting at everyone they saw as part of what they now describe as an organized ring of drug traffickers that covered the Region of Halton, City of Hamilton and City of Toronto.
Numerous police units were involved in Operation Commute; an 11 month investigation that resulted in the seizure of three kilos of drugs and $45,000 in cash plus nine arrests.
Drug and Morality officers were assisted by members of the Halton Guns & Gangs Unit, PAVIS (Provincial Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy), PWEU (Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit), Halton RIS (Regional Investigative Services), Halton and Hamilton uniformed members, Halton TRU (Tactical Rescue Unit), Hamilton ERU (Emergency Response Unit), and Toronto ETF (Emergency Task Force).
The accused are:
Steven BAKER, 25 yrs, Hamilton
-Trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine)
-Trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine and crack cocaine)
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (cocaine)
-Possession of proceeds of crime (over $5000)
Glen THOMAS, 32 yrs, Pickering
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (oxycodone)
-Possession of proceeds of crime (over $5000)
Goun IM, 20 yrs, Oakville
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (oxycodone)
-Possession of proceeds of crime (over $5000)
Brook TENN, 28 yrs, Hamilton
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (cocaine and crack cocaine)
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (oxycodone)
-Produce a controlled substance (crack cocaine)
-Careless storage of a firearm (contravention of regulations)
-Unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm
-Possession of a prohibited firearm knowing that its possession is unauthorized
Pierre KALATA, 30 yrs, Oakville
-Trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine)
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (cocaine)
-Conspiracy to import a controlled substance (cocaine)
-Breach of recognizance of bail (3 counts)
Joseph SANSONE, 22 yrs, Toronto
-Trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine)
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (cocaine)
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (ecstasy)
-Possession of proceeds of crime (over $5000)
-Conspiracy to import a controlled substance (cocaine)
-Careless storage of a firearm (contravention of regulations) two counts
-Unauthorized possession of a firearm
-Unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm
-Possession of a prohibited firearm knowing that its possession is unauthorized
-Possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized
Lindsay COUTTS, 23 yrs, Toronto
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (cocaine)
-Possession for the purposes of trafficking (ecstasy)
-Possession of proceeds of crime (over $5000)
-Conspiracy to import a controlled substance (cocaine)
-Careless storage of a firearm (contravention of regulations) two counts
-Unauthorized possession of a firearm
-Unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm
-Possession of a prohibited firearm knowing that its possession is unauthorized
-Possession of a firearm knowing that its possession is unauthorized
These accused persons are scheduled to appear in Milton bail court on the 12th of June 2012.
Two additional people were added to the list of those arrested:
Sausha JEFFERSON, 33 yrs, Mississauga
-Conspiracy to import a controlled substance (cocaine)
Romina PISANI, 28 yrs, Concord
-Conspiracy to import a controlled substance (cocaine)
These accused persons will appear in Milton court on the 31st of July 2012.
During a drug raid police assume there are weapons inside the residence - they go in fully prepared.
This is a major multi-level police investigation. Seized was three kilograms of cocaine, quantities of oxycodone, ecstasy and marihuana. All of these are dangerous, mind altering drugs that result in addictions. The people in this business also had three illegal handguns, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, approximately $45,000.00 in Canadian currency and equipment used in the production of crack cocaine.
The number of police units involved indicates how serious the drug problem is in the region. The people arrested were selling the drugs – who was buying the stuff?
