Project Madruga Stamps Out Drug Trafficking in Georgina
#3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau seized $215,000 in drugs and illegal weapons with the help of OPP
More than $215,000 in illicit drugs, seven handguns, four shotguns and four rifles were seized, and six suspects were arrested following a months-long investigation into drug trafficking in Georgina.
The investigation, dubbed Project Madruga, began in February 2025, when officers learned an individual had been trafficking drugs in the Town of Georgina.
“We knew it was going to be a significant investigation,” Detective Sergeant Jason Marcoux explained. “We started off with one suspect, then it just continued to grow and grow.”
Through investigation, associates of the suspect were identified, who were believed to be trafficking illicit drugs across multiple jurisdictions, spanning from Toronto to Huntsville.
Once York Regional Police officers learned the same group was being investigated by the Orillia Ontario Provincial Police Community Street Crime Unit, a joint-forces operation began.
“We had a really good cooperative relationship with the OPP,” Detective Sergeant Marcoux explained. “Both teams really cared about shutting down this group of suspects.”
“It was very similar to working with one of our own units, that’s how smooth it was,” he said.
During the investigation, Detective Sergeant Marcoux also identified an opportunity to train newer officers to do Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and Cannabis Control Act searches in Georgina, building up drug-seizure capacity with frontline officers.
“We brought up officers from Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement to train our frontline, and property crime investigators attended parades to speak to uniformed officers about how to soundly conduct cannabis searches.”
Detective Sergeant Marcoux said while this was happening, Property Crime investigators were looking for and working on developing criminal investigations into fentanyl trafficking and gun trafficking in Georgina.
On April 16 and May 8, 2025, a total of six search warrants were executed in York Region and Toronto, with the assistance of the Toronto Police Service and the OPP.
As a result, firearms and drugs including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids and cannabis were seized.
“Fifteen guns off the street, that’s a massive impact,” Detective Sergeant Marcoux said. “It’s an untold kind of impact—you don’t know what those guns are going to be used for, but you know that whatever the use, it is going to cause harm.”
One of the seized weapons, Detective Sergeant Marcoux explained, is known as a “cop killer” because it is designed to shoot bullets through Kevlar vests.
What’s more, Detective Sergeant Marcoux said the amount of drugs seized is significant.
“Fentanyl is killing an untold amount of people every year in our community and surrounding communities,” he said. “There is massive damage being done to victims of addiction every day, along with and their families.”
For their work getting drugs and firearms off the streets, the Project Madruga team won a 2026 Police Appreciation Night award, where they were honoured by their colleagues at the annual awards gala. (See featured photo and video below)
