Halton Police Seize 24 Handguns in Largest Firearm Bust in Service History
Four men arrested after a six-month investigation into a 'highly coordinated' trafficking network that moved guns, drugs, and cash.
Halton police have dismantled what they're calling their largest firearm trafficking operation, netting 24 handguns, several kilograms of cocaine, over 16,000 oxycodone tablets, and more than $375,000 in Canadian cash and cryptocurrency.
The six-month investigation, dubbed Project Cyprus, resulted in the arrest and charging of four men: a 29-year-old from Richmond Hill, a 26-year-old from Toronto, a 31-year-old from Oshawa, and a 36-year-old from Mississauga. All face over 30 criminal charges combined.
Halton Regional Police Chief Stephen Tanner called the bust "the largest firearm seizure in the history of the Halton Regional Police Service." But he emphasized that what officers found represents only the visible tip of a much larger criminal apparatus.
"This was not a small localized operation," said Deputy Chief Roger Wilkie. "This criminal network extended beyond our region with connections that reached across municipal, provincial and international boundaries."
All 24 seized guns are believed to have been brought into Canada from the United States—a pattern Tanner said underscores a critical border security vulnerability. "What you're seeing is the tip of an iceberg of a very prevalent issue where firearms are too readily accessible to dangerous criminals because of their ability to still bring them across the border," he told reporters.
Two of the accused were under court-related conditions when arrested, suggesting prior involvement with the criminal justice system. The investigation remains ongoing, with police working to identify additional network members and dismantle the organization before these weapons can be used to harm anyone.