Joint-Forces Operations and Internal Task Forces
Joint-forces operations
A joint-forces operation is an investigation made possible by the teamwork of two or more partnering police services or law enforcement agencies.
Information provided below sheds light on the details and performance objectives met by teams leading each of these investigations, in addition to the financial cost accrued by the police service.
PRoject
Absent
An investigation into an extortion, two shooting incidents and an attempted arson targeting a Vaughan family led to the arrest of two organized crime members from Quebec. This joint-forces operation, led by the York Regional Police Organized Crime Task Force, included collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Montreal Police Service and Laval Police Service.
Total Costs: $146,993.18
2 Arrests
and 4 charges
PROJEct
Bailout 2.0
In early 2022, the York Regional Police Financial Crimes Unit formed a working group with fraud investigators and analysts at police services across Canada to target suspects perpetrating grandparent scams. These scams typically target elderly or vulnerable people, with suspects pretending to be the victim’s grandchild, in an emergency and in need of money.
Investigators used a variety of techniques to identify and arrest suspects and dismantle a larger criminal organization based in Quebec.
Total Costs: $14,182.43
18 arrests
and 108 charges
Project
Limestone
Members of the Special Victims Unit – Internet Child Exploitation section combined forces with members of Peel Regional Police and the Durham Regional Police Service to identify, locate and arrest people looking to sexually exploit children in the Greater Toronto Area.
Total Costs: $15,517.16
4 arrests
and 12 charges
Project
MoneyPenny
York Regional Police investigators participated in this joint-forces operation led by the Toronto Police Service and involving officers from Ontario Provincial Police and the Durham Regional Police Service.
Moneypenny, which began in 2022 and concluded in spring 2023, targeted a firearms smuggling and drug trafficking network and culminated in 173 guns seized in addition to quantities of cocaine and fentanyl:
Total Costs: $93,612.16
42 arrests
and 422 charges
173 guns seized
along with cocaine and fentanyl
Project
Norte
Investigators from the Special Victims Unit – Human Trafficking Section partnered with the Canada Border Services Agency and members of the Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-Led Joint Forces Strategy to rescue 64 Mexican-born nationals exploited in a labour trafficking ring.
Read more about their efforts to find justice for these victims, who were lured to Canada with promise of good work and a better life below:
Total Costs: $145,142.70
7 arrests
and 46 charges
64
victims rescued
Project
Odeon
Members of the York Regional Police Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement Unit worked with partners from the Hamilton Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Toronto Police Service and several other agencies to dismantle two clandestine laboratories producing fentanyl.
During the investigation, led by Hamilton investigators, police seized 25 kilograms of fentanyl, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine and six kilograms of ketamine with a total street value of roughly $6.5 million. Police also recovered a firearm and seized $350,000 in cash:
Total Costs: $2,472.91
12 arrests
and 48 charges
$6.5 million
worth of drugs seized
Project
Venom
An investigation conducted in collaboration with the Toronto Police Service and law enforcement partners.
Total Costs: $47,809.36
Project
Wildcat
An investigation conducted in collaboration with the Toronto Police Service and law enforcement partners.
Total Costs: $161,983.08
internal task forces
An internal task force is an investigation that combines
the resources of two or more units within York Regional
Police.
Information provided below sheds light on the details and performance objectives met by teams leading each of these investigations, in addition to the financial cost accrued by the police service.
Project
Rebellion
After a King Township man was nearly killed in a drive-by shooting, investigators in the Major Projects Unit formed an internal task force to identify suspects.
Eventually, police expanded the project and teamed up with partners in Hamilton and Toronto who traced the shooting back to members of the Mara Salvatrucha street gang, commonly known as MS-13:
Total Costs: $253,416.40
8 arrests
and 40 charges
Project
Crystal
Led by the York Regional Police Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement Unit, officers working on Project Crystal aimed to infiltrate, identify, disrupt and dismantle a drug-and-firearm supply chain network.
At the project’s conclusion, police had seized more than 11,000 grams of crystal methamphetamine, roughly 2,300 grams of fentanyl, 6,600 grams of cocaine, 890 grams of MDMA and 1,550 MDMA pills, along with 236 pounds of cannabis and one Glock handgun. Police also seized $110,275 in cash:
Total Costs: $199,358.99
39 arrests
and 162 charges
$7 million
worth of drugs seized
Project
Discovery
Officers working on Project Discovery began with an investigation into a shopping mall robbery in Markham and eventually uncovered and dismantled a criminal group involved in robberies, carjackings, vehicle theft and firearm purchases.
Total Costs: $1300
5 arrests
and 23 charges
