Residents of Toronto and Montreal are charged in Thunder Bay with firearms and drug trafficking

THUNDER BAY, OP – Five people, including residents of Toronto and Montreal, are facing a total of 31 firearms and drug trafficking charges after the execution of search warrants at two homes on Thunder Bay’s east side.

Earlier this month, the Provincial Joint Forces Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team (PGNG), led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), launched an investigation into drug trafficking in Thunder Bay.

The operation, supported by the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS), Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) and other law enforcement agencies, culminated in the execution of search warrants on September 19, 2024 at homes on Finlayson Street and Heron Street.

During the raids, police seized two loaded handguns, ammunition, an extended magazine, cellphones, suspected fentanyl and approximately $10,000 in cash.

Costs

Travas Gayle34, of Toronto, has been charged with seven criminal offenses under the Criminal Code, including:

• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
• Careless storage of a firearm
• Knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
• Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
• Possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000
• Possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order

Joanna-Marie Zannie38, and Gregory Rule59, both from Thunder Bay, along with Khalad Haouari22, from Toronto, and a 14-year-old from Montreal, are each charged with six crimes, including:

• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
• Careless storage of a firearm
• Knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
• Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
• Possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000

All five suspects have been taken into custody, with court dates scheduled at the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay.

PGNG operation

The PGNG is a multi-agency task force aimed at disrupting street gang activity and reducing the flow of illegal firearms into Ontario. The team, consisting of members from twenty police forces in Ontario and Quebec, focuses on intelligence-driven investigations into drug and firearms trafficking.

The OPP thanked the TBPS, NAPS and the RCMP for their support in the operation.

Anyone with information regarding illegal drug or firearm activity is encouraged to contact the OPP or Crime Stoppers.