23 Charged in Project North Star Investigation
An investigation led by York Regional Police resulted in 23 charges and the seizure of over $7.5 million in drugs.
York Regional Police have charged 23 individuals following Project North Star, an investigation into a criminal group involved in the production, trafficking, and exportation of illicit cannabis. One additional suspect remains wanted.
The investigation, which ran from February 2026 to September 2026, was led by the York Regional Police Complex Investigation Unit in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team, the Canada Border Services Agency, and the London Police Service.
Investigators allege the group sourced illicit cannabis from locations across Ontario, including a large-scale illicit cannabis grow operation in London. The cannabis was reportedly produced outside Ontario’s cannabis regulation and distributed through an underground market, including an online illicit dispensary. Members of the group allegedly exported cannabis to North America and parts of Europe using commercial parcel delivery services.
Search warrants were executed between July 2026 and September 2026 at locations in Markham, Scarborough, Vaughan, Burlington, Milton, London, and Ailsa Craig, Ontario. The project resulted in the shutdown of the illicit cannabis dispensary and the dismantling of the London grow operation, where seized cannabis alone was estimated at approximately $4.8 million.