Five people, including a Barrie resident, have been charged in relation to a large-scale drug-trafficking operation in Simcoe County.
In June, Orillia OPP began an investigation into a group of suspected drug traffickers operating throughout the county.
With the assistance of the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Vancouver Police Department, Orillia OPP says officers “were able to obtain judicial authorization on several different types of warrants and production orders, which led to the identity of the involved traffickers,” according to a news release.
Numerous search warrants were executed Wednesday, leading police to recover the following:
- A loaded Glock 43 9-mm handgun
- 214 grams of fentanyl
- 218 grams of cocaine
- 58 grams of heroin
- $12,000 in Canadian currency
- Several prohibited knives
- A stolen police bulletproof vest
- Seven cellular devices
- Swastika/Nazi paraphernalia
Arkadius Lesiczka, 30, of Barrie, has been charged with the following:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (heroin)
- Trafficking cocaine (two counts)
- Trafficking fentanyl (two counts)
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Possession of stolen property
- Participation in a criminal organization
- Careless storage of a firearm
- Possession of a loaded prohibited firearm
- Unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm
- Tampering with the serial number of a firearm
Nathan Venema, 33, of Surrey, B.C., has been charged with the following:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (heroin)
- Trafficking cocaine
- Trafficking fentanyl
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Participation in a criminal organization
- Careless storage of a firearm
- Possession of a loaded prohibited firearm
- Unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm
- Tampering with the serial number of a firearm
Ian Kelly, 31, of no fixed address, has been charged with the following:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (heroin)
- Trafficking cocaine
- Trafficking fentanyl
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Participation in a criminal organization
- Careless storage of a firearm
- Possession of a loaded prohibited firearm
- Unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm
- Tampering with the serial number of a firearm
Mia Sanchez, 21, of Surrey, B.C., has been charged with the following:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (heroin)
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
No information on the fifth person charged was provided.
All of the accused were held for bail hearings. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
