Hamilton police seized $3 million in drugs, 35 guns in three-month project

Hamilton police have seized more than $3 million in drugs, 35 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition from six properties on the Hamilton Mountain.

In total, 16 people were arrested and face a collective 213 drug and gun charges.

The three-month investigation, called Project Munro, targeted drug trafficking and gun violence in the area.

Among the six properties searched is a problematic Green Mountain Road grow operation that has been the source of multiple community complaints, The Spectator has confirmed.

Some of the guns seized by police during the project were either loaded or unsafely stored and several had been modified, police said. Three high-calibre bulletproof vests were also found.

Among the drugs seized were 75 kilograms of processed cannabis (valued at approximately $1 million) and 2,500 cannabis plants (valued at approximately $2 million). Police also seized about $20,000 worth of other illicit drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine, and multiple kilograms of suspected cutting agent.

The cannabis seized was not legally grown and poses a risk to public safety, police said. This includes the risk of fire or explosions from modified electrical wiring, irrigation systems and industrial exhaust fans.

The project also included help from Halton and Niagara police, OPP, Hamilton bylaw, the Office of the Fire Marshall and the Technical Standards and Safety Authority.

The investigation is ongoing.

More to come.

Nicole O'Reilly covers crime and justice for The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com