Thunder Bay Police Service reveals results of drug trafficking projects

March 25, 2025

A pair of Thunder Bay Police Service projects combatting drug trafficking have resulted in the seizure of illicit substances with a street value of more than $1 million, along with seven firearms and two vehicles.

On Tuesday, the Thunder Bay Police Service announced results of Project Decoy and Project Incognito, a pair of major investigations led by the Intelligence Unit that began in the fall of 2024.

 

The successful completion of these investigations was made possible through funding provided by the Ontario Government, Ministry of the Solicitor General in which the Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario supported this investigation.

 

Project Decoy took place from October 2024 through December 2024, focusing on street-level purchases and addressing community complaints about suspected drug trafficking activity in neighbourhoods throughout the city.

 

The project resulted in the seizure of drugs with an estimated street value of more than $750,000, along with nearly $160,000 in cash. Through the project, three handguns and one shotgun were seized.

 

Thirty-eight people were arrested and face a total of 215 charges.

 

Project Incognito culminated with the execution of search warrants at a pair of local residences earlier this month, on Thursday, March 13.

 

Police seized quantities of suspected cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine, along with paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking. A shotgun was also seized. Five people were arrested.

 

In total, Project Incognito resulted in the seizure of drugs with an estimated street value of about $300,000. Two handguns were also seized with six individuals arrested.

 

Between the two projects, more than 20 of the arrested individuals are considered non-district offenders.

 

The accused individuals have all appeared in court and have future appearance dates.

August 1, 2025
The Thunder Bay Police Service is continuing to provide advice to the public on how to avoid being victimized by fraud. Police are encouraging people to take steps to safeguard their accounts to prevent potential scammers from gaining access. One important way to keep accounts secure is to protect ID and password information. Some recommended best practices include choosing a strong password with a combination of numbers, letters and symbols, and to use unique passwords for financial, email, and social media accounts. As well, it’s important to regularly monitor financial accounts to be able to detect any nefarious activity as quickly as possible and to report any breaches to your financial institution immediately.  The Thunder Bay Police Service’s Economic Crime Unit urges residents to speak to family members and friends who may be vulnerable to being targeted by fraud. Prevention is the best protection against fraud. If you are concerned about potential scams and want to learn more, please visit https://www.thunderbaypolice.ca/safety/fraud-prevention or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre ( http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/ ) To make a fraud/cyber crime online report to the Thunder Bay Police Service, please visit: https://www.services.tryrubicon.com/thunder-bay-police-service/online-reports/report/fraud-cybercrime