Joint police action results in 20 arrests of individuals accused of drug and human smuggling (2024)

In the fall of2021, investigators from the Hamilton-Niagara Detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS), Peel Regional Police (PRP) commenced a joint investigation dubbed "Project Gateway". "Project Gateway" was supported through funding provided by the Government of Ontario, Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario.

The10-month investigation identified that this organized group was engaged in a number of alleged criminal enterprises including:

Conspiring to smuggle cocaine from Mexico and Los Angeles into Canada by transport truck (via various ports of entry) and boat across the St. Clair River;
Operating cocaine extraction labs in rural properties located in South-Western Ontario designed to transform smuggled cocaine from an altered state (used to conceal the substance) to powder cocaine for resale;
Smuggling cannabis and cannabis derivatives from Canada to the United States and other countries internationally by transport truck and registered shipping services;
Smuggling large amounts of tobacco from the United States into Canada by transport truck. Some of the smuggled tobacco was kept in Canada while some was smuggled overseas from Canada;
Smuggling people across the Niagara River into New York State by boat;
Possessing stolen vehicles and shipping them overseas;
Firearms possession;
Employing illegal foreign workers to work at cannabis production sites and to clean chain hotels;
Production of cannabis on a massive scale and smuggled into the United States using transport trucks; and
Production of illegal cigarettes.

Over the last10months, a variety of seizures were made while collecting evidence relating to alleged smuggling activities. Some of these seizures included the following:

A shipment of cannabis weighing339.5lbs that was destined for Europe. (estimated value of$1,356,000.00CDN);
22skids of undeclared tobacco with an approximate weight of33,000lbs. (estimated value of$230,000);
45,000cannabis plants and over20,000lbs. of processed cannabis (estimated value of$62,792,000.00);
80Kilograms of cocaine (valued at approximately$3,200,000.00) was seized by authorities in Canada and the United States.

On September14,2022, the active joint project came to a conclusion with the execution of search warrants in various locations throughout the Province on Ontario. The search warrants were executed with the assistance of approximately175police officers from police agencies across Southern Ontario and10CBSA/Immigration officers.

The totality of the investigation and the warrants that were executed in Brampton, Milton, Niagara Falls, Thorold, Etobico*ke, Mississauga, Woodbridge, Richmond Hill and Hamilton resulted in numerous charges laid against several individuals, along with the seizure of3,007.5lbs. of cannabis (valued at$3,007,500),136.3grams of cocaine (valued at$13,630),3handguns,2shotguns, a rifle,1650rounds of ammunition,6stolen vehicles and over$467000in currency.

As a result of Project Gateway, the following charges have been laid:

69-year-old Ollie Mastronardi of Leamington, Ontario:

Conspiracy to Import Cocaine – S.465(1)(c) CC
Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking - S.465(1)(c) CC

35-year-old John Mercante of Binbrook, Ontario:

Conspiracy to Import Cocaine – S.465(1)(c) CC
Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking - S.465(1)(c) CC

60-year-old Davor Perhot of Niagara Falls, Ontario:

Conspiracy to Import Cocaine – S.465(1)(c) CC x2counts
Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking - S.465(1)(c) CC x2counts
Commission of an Offence for a Criminal Organization – S.467.12(1) CC
Conspiracy to Export Cannabis – S.465(1)(c) CC x 2counts
Possession for the Purpose of Distributing (Cannabis) – S.9(2) Cannabis Act
Possession of a Schedule I Substance (oxycodone) for the Purpose of Trafficking – S.5(2) CDSA
Possession of Proceeds of Crime Over$5000– S.355(a) CC

25-year-old Anthony Fogazzi of Woodbridge, Ontario:

Commission of an Offence for a Criminal Organization – S.467.12(1)CC
Conspiracy to Export Cannabis – S.465(1)(c) CC x 3counts

81-year-old Nereo Frank Fogazzi of Port Colborne, Ontario:

Conspiracy to Import Cocaine – S.465(1)(c) CC
Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking - S.465(1)(c) CC
Commission of an Offence for a Criminal Organization – S.467.12(1)CC

43-year-old Ibrahim Hamzic of Niagara Falls, Ontario:

Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Schedule1Substance (cocaine) – S.5(2) CDSA
Possession of a Schedule I Substance (oxycodone) for the Purpose of Trafficking – S.5(2) CDSA x 2counts
Possession of Proceeds of Crime over$5000– S.355(a) CC

58-year-old Raytcho Kitchoukov of Etobico*ke, Ontario:

Conspiracy to Import Cocaine – S.465(1)(c) CC
Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking - S.465(1)(c) CC
Commission of an Offence for a Criminal Organization – S.467.12(1) CC
Possession of Proceeds of Crime Over$5000– S.355(a) CC x 7counts (stolen vehicles)
Possession of a Schedule I Substance (cocaine) for the Purpose of Trafficking – S.5(2) CDSA
Possession of Proceeds of Crime Over$5000– S.355(a) CC

66-year-old Vincent Pileggi of Richmond Hill, Ontario:

Conspiracy to Import Cocaine – S.465(1)(c) CC
Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking - S.465(1)(c) CC
Commission of an Offence for a Criminal Organization – S.467.12(1) CC
Firearm – Knowledge of Unauthorized Possession – S.92(1)(b) CC
Possession of a Prohibited Firearm with Ammunition – S.95(1)(b) CC
Firearm – Tampering with Serial Number – S.108(1) CC
Careless Storage of a Firearm –86(1) CC
Possession for the Purpose of Distributing (Cannabis) – S.9(2) Cannabis Act
Possession of Proceeds of Crime Over$5000– S.355(a) CC

50-year-old Antoine Balanian of Niagara Falls, Ontario:

Conspiracy to Import Cocaine – S.465(1)(c) CC
Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking - S.465(1)(c) CC

28-year-old Fawzi Zaid of Windsor, Ontario:

Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Schedule I Substance (cocaine) – S.5(2) CDSA

48-year-old Mel Rentaria Castro of Surrey, British Columbia:

Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Schedule I Substance (cocaine) – S.5(2) CDSA

24-year-old Mehakdeep Maan of Brampton, Ontario:

Conspiracy to Export Cannabis – S.465(1)(c) CC x3 counts
Commission of an Offence for a Criminal Organization – S.467.12(1) CC
Fail to Comply with a Recognizance – S.145CC

55-year-old Mario Nicastro of North York, Ontario:

Conspiracy to Smuggle Tobacco/Sell Tobacco – S.465(1)(c) CC

In addition to the NRPS, PRP and RCMP, several law enforcement agencies worked in collaboration throughout the duration of Project Gateway including: Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), FBI Buffalo International Organized Crime Task Force (BIOCTF), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, multiple Units/Sections from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Windsor Police Service, Lasalle Police Service, Chatham Police Service, York Regional Police, Gatineau Police Service, Hamilton Police Service, Toronto Police Service and Halton Police Service.