10 Winnipeggers charged, more than $3M in heroin, opium seized in drug-trafficking probes
Police knew heroin was on the streets, but major seizures have been rare
Ten Winnipeggers are facing charges and more than $3 million worth of heroin and opium has been seized following two joint investigations with the Canada Border Services Agency, Winnipeg police said Wednesday.
It's a big bust, Insp. Elton Hall told reporters at a news conference on Thursday, because heroin can be used to make far more dangerous drugs, including purple down, a mixture of fentanyl, carfentanyl and often heroin.
"This is really the first large seizure of heroin we've had in a long time here. We knew it was here, we heard about purple down … I do think this is a significant seizure, it's a large amount," Hall said.
In September of 2022, CBSA alerted Winnipeg police that opium had been detected on several rugs shipped into Winnipeg from Dubai, prompting a joint investigation into an international drug trafficking network, he said.
Those rugs were addressed to properties that didn't exist or to vacant houses, so couriers had to return the packages to a storage facility in Winnipeg, Hall said.
"People are intercepting the packages that are returned to the [storage] facilities … and the individual who's involved actually goes to pick it up after the fact," he said. "They don't want it delivered to [their] house right away. I think they're trying to test the waters to see if authorities are onto them."
On Sept. 19, a man went to a storage facility to pick up the rugs, but because they had been flagged by authorities he was turned away, Hall said.
Three days later, more rugs laced with opium were delivered to Winnipeg, this time addressed to a home on Sedona Crescent, near Keewatin Street, in the Maples neighbourhood, and police were given permission to do a controlled delivery of the rugs.
A person answered the door, accepted the rugs, and brought them into the house, Hall said.
At that point, Winnipeg police executed a search warrant at the home and arrested a woman, 26, and two men, 35 and 39, including the man investigators saw trying to pick up the rugs at the storage facility earlier that week, Hall said.
Police seized four opium-laced rugs containing 9.6 kilograms of the drug, worth about $2 million on the street, 227 grams of black tar heroin, 20.8 grams of powder heroin, drug-trafficking materials and paraphernalia and just over $21,500 in cash, police said.
They have been charged with possession of the drugs for the purpose of trafficking, importing the drugs and possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000.
Hall says opium-soaked threads are woven into the rugs, and then a chemical process is used to extract the drug to make black tar and powdered heroin.
"This is something I know CBSA has been dealing with. And in Winnipeg, we're seeing more heroin now given the fentanyl crisis we have in the city," he said.
Smugglers getting creative
Smugglers are getting creative with hiding drugs, Jeryn Peters, director of intelligence and enforcement operations for the CBSA's Prairie region, told reporters.
"Various items have been used to conceal all kinds of drugs and other items, so this is just one method that we've seen," she said. "Clothing — any fabric items — could be used for this method."
In December, Hall says, investigators began looking into another drug-trafficking network in the Maples neighbourhood.
Last month, they executed search warrants at two homes, two vehicles and four banks in Winnipeg and West St. Paul, arresting seven people, and seizing seven kilograms of heroin or opium, worth about $1.4 million, roughly $475,000 in cash, $120,000 worth of jewelry, drug-trafficking materials and a BB gun, Hall said.
Six people in that arrest — four men and two women — are each facing drug-trafficking charges as well as possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime.
Another man is facing those charges as well as weapons charges and violating his probation.
All 10 of the accused have been released with conditions as mandated by the Criminal Code.
Purple down on the streets
On the streets of Winnipeg, Bear Clan Patrol volunteers have helped people who've overdosed on heroin and drugs with traces of it, including purple down.
Volunteers carry and are trained to use Naloxone kits to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, said Kevin Walker, Bear Clan's interim executive director.
"We're trying to combat it as best we can with the aftermath of it," Walker said in an interview on Thursday.
"It's killing our relatives and community members. So it has to be looked at and taken care of and we have to … slow the flow of it and you know have programs available for people that are trying to get off some of these drugs out there."
Police are asking anyone with information regarding drug trafficking to call Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477). Anonymous tips can also be submitted online.
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With files from Josh Crabb