Man gets 15 years for drug trafficking after largest fentanyl seizure by Halton police

A Markham man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking as a result of the largest fentanyl seizure by Halton police last year.

On May 31, the Ontario Court of Justice found the man guilty for the possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, the longest sentence ever handed out on a drug-related charge laid by Halton police, a police release says.

Police say that the sentencing has established a precedent that specifies that 15 years will be the estimated starting sentence on charges resulting from possessing multiple kilograms of fentanyl.

The man is one of nine individuals arrested and faced a total of 30 charges in relation to the year-long investigation dubbed Project Mover." The investigation, which started in late 2019, spanned the Greater Toronto Area and resulted in the largest seizure of fentanyl in Halton police history, with a value of more than $4 million.

The 31-year-old man - and other eight accused individuals, including two from Oakville - still face sentencing for charges laid in relation to the investigation.

In the release, Halton Police Deputy Chief Jeff Hill said: In the course of the pandemic, fentanyl has been identified as a direct contributor to 87 per cent of opioid-related deaths in the province. It truly is a scourge on society. We are grateful for the strong message sent by the judicial system to those who choose to traffic in dangerous and illicit substances. These drugs and the criminals who traffic them have no place in our region and we vow to continue to relentlessly pursue those who put our communities at risk."