The Ontario Provincial Police have seized more than $8 million in illegal cannabis products as part of a months-long investigation into a distribution network that spanned several provinces.
Between October 2024 and July 2025, the police say they carried out five search warrants in Etobicoke, Ohsweken, Scarborough, and Brantford as well as in an “illicit cannabis grow operation” in Binbrook, which led to five individuals facing numerous charges.
Investigators seized illicit items with a street value of more than $8 million, including 753 pounds of dried illegal cannabis, a large quantity of illegal cannabis products, 28,280 illegal cannabis plants in various stages of growth, 400 cartons of contraband tobacco, 30 grams of suspected cocaine, and $4,600 in cash.
The search warrants were carried out by officers from the OPP’s Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team, the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, Brant County’s OPP Street Crime Unit, and the Emergency Response Team.
The OPP says it partnered with the Safer Communities Section, which is supported by New Brunswick’s Department of Justice and Public Safety, and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) to carry out the investigation, called Project SHORT.
Police say that five individuals have been charged in connection with the investigation and are facing charges for a total of 18 offences.
A 54-year-old Brantford resident and a 59-year-old and a 52-year-old from Scarborough are facing charges for possession of property obtained by crime, possession for the purpose of distributing, distribution without authorization, and possession for the purpose of selling.
In addition, a 41-year-old Markham resident is facing charges for possession of property obtained by crime, selling illicit cannabis, possession for the purpose of distributing, distributing cannabis, and possession for the purpose of selling.
FINTRAC
While the OPP haven’t said what specific financial transactions were looked into as part of Project SHORT, a FINTRAC operational alert published in September 2022 says the national financial intelligence agency is able to detect, prevent, and deter all stages of money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities by disclosing financial transaction reports to law enforcement and national security agencies.The initiative, called Project Legion, is led by TD Bank, supported by Canadian law enforcement and FINTRAC, and targets illicit cannabis activities by focusing on the money laundering aspect of the crime.
Additionally, FINTRAC found a wide range of businesses being used as “front companies” to launder illicit cannabis proceeds. The businesses most often observed included e-commerce businesses in the beauty and wellness industry, food and beverage wholesales, automotive-related businesses, electronics repair businesses, marketing and advertising businesses, consulting businesses, and construction-related businesses.
“While more consumers are reporting each year that they obtain their cannabis from legal sources, there still exists a flourishing and illegal cannabis market in Canada,” the federal government says.
