(TORONTO, ON) – Twenty illegal firearms and 73 kilograms of illicit drugs have been seized by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-led Provincial Joint Forces Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team (PGNG).
The OPP-led PGNG assisted the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) Organized Crime Division with a drug trafficking investigation that identified large quantities of cocaine transported between Toronto and Montréal and the surrounding area.
On March 27, 2024, PGNG executed two search warrants on a vehicle and a residence on Ridelle Avenue in Toronto. The following items were seized:
· Approximately 60 kilograms of cocaine
· Approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine
· 20 firearms including 19 handguns and one assault rifle
· 3,000 rounds of ammunition
· 53 magazines
· Four drum magazines
· 66 Glock auto switches (used to convert to automatic firearms)
· Three bullet proof vests
· One ballistic helmet
Bradley NELSON, 35 years of age of Whitby, was arrested in Toronto by PGNG. The accused has been charged with a total of 68 charges under the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act including:
· Unauthorized possession of a firearm – 20 counts
· Unauthorized possession of a firearm knowing its unauthorized – 20 counts
· Possession for the purpose of trafficking firearms – 19 counts
· Possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order – two counts
· Possession of a prohibited device – two counts
· Careless storage of a firearm
· Trafficking of a controlled substance, cocaine
· Trafficking of a controlled substance, methamphetamine
· Possession for the purpose of trafficking, cocaine
· Possession for the purpose of trafficking, methamphetamine
The accused was held in custody and will appear before an Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto on May 2, 2024.