Provincial police say they’ve disrupted a major drug trafficking operation with connections to Walpole Island and Chatham-Kent. The investigation began in April after police received information about suspected fentanyl trafficking affecting Walpole Island First Nation. Search warrants were executed at two London homes in July, leading to the seizure of more than $1.28 million worth of drugs, firearms, stolen vehicles and cash. Speaking on Walpole Island Wednesday, OPP acting Det. Supt. Andy Bradford said the alleged trafficking operation stretched from London into Walpole Island, Lambton County and Chatham-Kent. “This investigation started based on intelligence that a male from London, Ontario was trafficking fentanyl in this community and the surrounding area. That was the premise of this investigation from the start,” Bradford said. Bradford said officers uncovered a large quantity of contraband during the raids. “The total seizures are approximately 15.3 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of methamphetamine, four loaded prohibited handguns, and five stolen vehicles,” he said. He added that the amount of fentanyl recovered could have had devastating consequences. “Investigators seized more than 15 kilograms of fentanyl. Based on common street-level quantities, that amount had the potential to generate over 150,000 potentially lethal street-level doses,” Bradford said. “That is enough to impact communities far beyond a single municipality.” Three London residents, ages 27, 28 and 28, are facing numerous drug, firearms and property-related charges. Investigators say they’re still working to determine where the fentanyl came from and whether there are links to a larger criminal network.
