The investigation, dubbed Project Divergent, began in 2018 after a criminal Manitoba RCMP analyst identified some trends in drug imports into Canada, police said at a news conference in Winnipeg on Tuesday morning.
Insp. Grant Steven, who heads the RCMP’s Serious and Organized Crime Division, said police soon realized he was in a complex operation involving large sales of cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates (specifically fentanyl) and firearms.
A link to the Hells Angels cyclist gang has also been uncovered, Stephen told a news conference.
Several police services from across Canada and around the world participated in the investigation, including the Colombian National Police, the Greek Police in Greece, and the U.S. Internal Security Investigations by Grand Forks, ND
Along with the 22 arrests, police say they also seized more than $ 70 million worth of illicit drugs, including 110 kilograms of cocaine (estimated at $ 11 million), 41.4 kilograms of methamphetamine (estimated at $ 8 million) and three kilos of fentanyl (estimated road value of $ 50 million).
“I provide this framework not to amaze you with the seizure, but to show you how many people could have been affected by this amount of illegal product,” Stephen said.
Police also found 14 pistols and those they described as five assault rifles.
Some of the pistols confiscated by the police as part of the investigation. (Submitted by Manitoba RCMP)
Two people are still missing and are wanted by the police as part of the investigation:
Kieffer Michael Kramar, 30, is from Winnipeg, but police believe he could be anywhere in Canada. Denis Ivziku, 24, is from the lower mainland of British Columbia. Police believe he is still in the area.
