THUNDER BAY – Police have arrested eight people and laid 72 charges after illegal firearms were seized during recent raids in Thunder Bay.
Ontario Provincial Police, in a release issued on Thursday, said they recovered two nine-millimetre handguns, one extended magazine with 23 rounds of ammunition, one 31-round high-capacity magazine with 11 rounds of ammunition and $25,000 in cash.
Police also seized suspected narcotics, including seven acetaminophen and oxycodone tablets, about 300 grams of suspected crack cocaine, four grams of suspected fentanyl, four digital scales and 10 cell phones.
Warrants were served on May 30 at three south-end Thunder Bay addresses, the arrests the result of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into a drug-trafficking network in the city. The OPP-led PGNG team, Thunder Bay Police, and Nishnawbe Aski Police Service took part in the investigation.
Of the eight charged, two are from Thunder Bay, one is from Calgary, one is from Quebec and four are from southern Ontario.
Two of the eight are considered to be youths, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Brooklin, Ont.’s Shermar Ahmed-McDonald, 27, is charged with possession of weapons for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, knowledge of possession of an unauthorized firearm, careless storage of a firearm, possession of a prohibited device, possession of proceeds in crime under $5,000, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking.
A 16-year-old youth from Toronto is charged with possession of weapons for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, knowledge of possession of an unauthorized firearm, careless storage of a firearm, possession of a prohibited device, and possession of proceeds in crime under $5,000.
A 17-year-old from L’avenir, Que. is charged with possession of weapons for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, knowledge of possession of an unauthorized firearm, careless storage of a firearm, possession of a prohibited device, possession of proceeds in crime under $5,000, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking.
Thunder Bay’s Frank McGuire is charged with possession of weapons for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, knowledge of possession of an unauthorized firearm, careless storage of a firearm and possession of a prohibited device.
Cambridge, Ont.’s Jahdon Alphonso, 25, faces 10 charges. Alphonso is charged with possession of weapons for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, knowledge of possession of an unauthorized firearm, careless storage of a firearm, possession of a prohibited device, possession of proceeds in crime over $5,000, two counts of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of a firearm knowing the serial number has been tampered with.
Thornhill, Ont.’s Koeve Isen, 24, also faces the same 10 charges faced by Alphonso, as does Calgary’s Carine Mwanza, 22 and Thunder Bay’s Shayna Szcezerkowski, 20.
Six of the accused were remanded into custody and two were released. All are expected to appear in court in Thunder Bay at later dates.
The investigation continues.
