Provincial Police Seize 10,000 Doses of Suspected Fentanyl in Central Ontario

Grey Bruce Ontario Provincial Police seized suspected fentanyl worth $250,000 on the streets during drug busts this week in Owen Sound and Meaford, two towns in central Ontario. OPP handout photoTwo people are facing charges after an Ontario police drug trafficking investigation led to the seizure of 10,000 street-level doses of suspected fentanyl from two communities in the central part of the province.Officers from the Grey Bruce Community Street Crime Unit, in collaboration with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), carried out a traffic stop on Highway 10 located in the Municipality of Grey Highlands this week as part of an investigation that began in May, according to a police press release. Two people were taken into custody without incident after a search of the vehicle turned up a package containing suspected fentanyl, police said.Two search warrants were conducted the following day, one at a home in Owen Sound and the other at a building in Meaford.Investigators discovered slightly more than one kilogram of suspected fentanyl with a total estimated street value of $250,000 and 8.4 grams of suspected methamphetamine valued at roughly $850. Investigators also confiscated $30,000 in crime-related property, police said.  Grey Bruce OPP detachment commander Inspector Marla Barfoot said the bust prevented a substantial quantity of the substance from reaching local streets.“The removal of over one kilogram of suspected fentanyl from our communities represents a major disruption to those who profit from the sale of dangerous drugs,” Barfoot said in a press release. “Every quantity of fentanyl seized has the potential to prevent harm, save lives, and improve community safety.”Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that is 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times as strong as heroin.  Owen Sound resident Martin Aguirre, 48, and Meaford resident Jessica Proctor, 34, have each been charged with possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking and possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking.Both accused were held for a bail hearing on July 7 and were remanded into custody.Cocaine BustThe bust comes just two weeks after a drug investigation in northwestern Ontario led to the seizure of more than a kilogram of crack cocaine in Thunder Bay with a street value of roughly $282,000.Officers with the provincial guns and gangs enforcement team executed a search warrant at a motel in Thunder Bay and a vehicle stop was also conducted near Dryden by the OPP community street crime unit.The officers seized 1.1 kilograms of suspected crack cocaine and 500 grams of suspected cocaine as well as cash in both Canadian and American currencies.Two 29-year-old Toronto-area males were charged in connection with the investigation.Dwight John of York has been charged with breach of probation and possession for the purpose of trafficking.Deshawn Yarde of Mississauga was arrested and charged with possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000, and possession for the purpose of trafficking.Both accused were remanded into custody following bail hearings and were set to appear in a Thunder Bay court this month.The OPP announced last month that its street crime units seized more than $109 million in drugs in 2025.