York Regional Police Project Targets Dark Web Drug Distribution

York Regional Police have charged five people after an investigation into drug trafficking through Dark Web marketplaces and encrypted online platforms. The investigation, named Project Ghostwire, was led by the York Regional Police Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement Unit and the Cybercrime Unit, in partnership with Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario.

The investigation targeted the online sale and distribution of controlled substances. Investigators identified a Dark Web vendor advertising various controlled substances for sale. The vendor accepted cryptocurrency and used private messages for communication, with drugs packaged and shipped through mail-delivery services.

On February 20, 2026, search warrants were executed, including at a residence in Mississauga. Police seized approximately $3 million worth of illicit drugs, including over 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 5.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 3.5 kilograms of cocaine, 4.5 kilograms of ketamine, 700 grams of heroin, 5.4 kilograms of MDMA, 205 grams of crack cocaine, over 1,100 tabs of LSD, 11,800 Xanax pills, 290 oxycodone pills, and 110 hydromorphone pills. A carbine assault rifle and ammunition were also seized, along with approximately $200,000 in cryptocurrency, $200,000 in Canadian currency, and over $1 million in proceeds of crime.