

Currently released so far... 12453 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
ASEC
AORC
AMGT
APER
AU
AF
AS
ACBAQ
AFGHANISTAN
AFIN
AR
AE
AJ
ADANA
AEMR
AG
ATRN
ADPM
APECO
AGAO
AMED
AX
AM
AL
ADCO
AA
AECL
AADP
ABUD
AMEX
ACAO
ANET
AODE
ASCH
AY
APEC
AID
AORG
ASEAN
AFSI
AFSN
AINF
AGR
AROC
AO
AMBASSADOR
AFFAIRS
ASIG
ABLD
ASUP
AND
ARM
ARF
AQ
ATFN
AC
ACOA
AORL
ADM
AUC
AGMT
ACABQ
ASEX
AFU
ALOW
AZ
APCS
AVERY
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AER
AN
AIT
AMG
AGRICULTURE
AMCHAMS
ACS
BR
BA
BD
BL
BO
BF
BU
BILAT
BEXP
BRUSSELS
BK
BN
BM
BT
BY
BX
BTIO
BIDEN
BG
BE
BP
BBSR
BC
BTIU
BWC
BB
BH
BMGT
CH
CY
CA
CU
CS
CO
CVIS
CPAS
CMGT
CE
COUNTER
CASC
COUNTRY
CJAN
COUNTERTERRORISM
CG
CI
CD
CIDA
CJUS
CDG
CBSA
CEUDA
CR
CM
CLMT
CAC
CBW
CODEL
COPUOS
CWC
CIC
CW
CBE
CHR
CFED
CT
CONS
CIA
CTM
CDC
CVR
CF
CLINTON
CITEL
CLEARANCE
COE
CN
CACS
CAN
CONDOLEEZZA
CB
CSW
CITT
CARSON
CNARC
CACM
CDB
CARICOM
COM
CROS
CAPC
CTR
CV
CKGR
CBC
CL
CICTE
CIS
ECON
EFIN
ELAB
ETRD
EIND
EC
EINV
EAGR
ENRG
ETTC
EAID
EPET
ELTN
EWWT
EAIR
EFIS
EMIN
EG
EU
ER
EUN
EPA
ENVI
EXTERNAL
ECPS
ENGR
ETRC
ECIN
EN
EI
ELN
ET
EINT
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ES
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
EZ
ETRO
EDU
ETRN
EFTA
EAIG
EK
EUREM
EURN
ECONCS
ECONOMICS
ENVR
ELECTIONS
EAP
ENIV
ECONOMY
ESA
EINN
ECONOMIC
EIAR
EXBS
ECA
ECUN
EINDETRD
EUR
EREL
EUC
ESENV
ECONEFIN
ECIP
ENERG
ENNP
EFINECONCS
EFIM
ENGY
EAIDS
EINVEFIN
EINVETC
EUMEM
ETRA
ETC
ERNG
ETRDECONWTOCS
EUNCH
ECINECONCS
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EXIM
ERD
EEPET
IR
IS
IZ
IAEA
IO
IAHRC
ID
IC
IT
IRAQI
IWC
IN
IL
ISLAMISTS
IV
ICAO
INDO
ITPHUM
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
IPR
ICRC
INTERPOL
IQ
IBET
IMO
INR
ITRA
INTERNAL
ICJ
ICTY
IRS
ILO
INRA
INRO
ISRAELI
IEA
INRB
ITALY
ITU
IBRD
IIP
ILC
INTELSAT
IZPREL
IMF
INMARSAT
IRAJ
IDA
ICTR
IA
IGAD
IF
IDP
ITF
ISRAEL
IEFIN
IRC
IACI
KN
KCRM
KOMC
KNNPMNUC
KIPR
KPAL
KWBG
KSCA
KFRD
KNNP
KUNR
KTIP
KWMN
KSTC
KFLU
KOLY
KISL
KPAO
KMDR
KJUS
KSTH
KDEM
KCOR
KIRF
KAWC
KU
KTFN
KWAC
KNPP
KERG
KSEO
KACT
KHLS
KZ
KGHG
KTIA
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCRCM
KE
KPKO
KCIP
KDRG
KVPR
KV
KIDE
KICC
KPRP
KBIO
KSUM
KGIT
KCFE
KG
KBTS
KFLO
KMPI
KS
KGIC
KPAI
KHSA
KTLA
KSEP
KTEX
KFSC
KOCI
KHDP
KPLS
KTDB
KHIV
KCSY
KSAC
KTRD
KID
KMRS
KOM
KSAF
KRVC
KR
KMOC
KNAR
KIRC
KBCT
KSPR
KFIN
KBTR
KJUST
KNEI
KAWK
KGCC
KMCA
KREL
KMFO
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFTFN
KVRP
KCOM
KO
KLIG
KAID
KVIR
KNSD
KHUM
KSEC
KRAD
KPRV
KCMR
KPWR
KCHG
KIFR
KCFC
KICA
KPIN
KSCI
KESS
KDEV
KTBT
KCRS
KCGC
KOMS
KRIM
KTER
KREC
KPOA
KWWMN
KRGY
KPAK
KWNM
KMIG
KDDG
KRFD
KWMM
KWMNCS
KX
KRCM
KPAONZ
KNUC
KDEMAF
KNUP
MARR
MOPS
MASS
MCAP
MTCRE
MNUC
MIL
MX
MEDIA
MO
MPOS
MU
ML
MA
MP
MY
MERCOSUR
MG
MD
MW
MK
MAS
MEETINGS
MR
MT
MI
MOPPS
MASC
MTS
MLS
MILI
MAR
MTRE
MEPN
MAPP
MTCR
MEPI
MQADHAFI
MAPS
MARAD
MASSMNUC
MEPP
MCC
MZ
MILITARY
MDC
MRCRE
MC
MV
MIK
MUCN
NATO
NL
NZ
NPT
NI
NAFTA
NU
NDP
NIPP
NP
NPA
NG
NRR
NO
NSC
NEW
NE
NH
NR
NA
NS
NSF
NZUS
NATIONAL
NSG
NC
NT
NAR
NK
NGO
NV
NSFO
NSSP
NASA
NW
NPG
NORAD
NATOPREL
OTRA
OAS
OPRC
OIIP
OVIP
OREP
OPDC
OEXC
OSCE
OFFICIALS
OMIG
ODIP
OFDP
OECD
OPIC
OBSP
OPCW
OFDA
OTR
OSAC
OSCI
ON
OCII
OES
OVP
OIC
OPAD
OIE
OHUM
OCS
PREL
PGOV
PK
PHUM
PINS
PARM
PA
PTER
PINR
PREF
PHSA
PBTS
PBIO
PO
POL
PE
PARMS
PM
PROG
PL
PAK
POLITICS
PORG
PTBS
PNAT
PUNE
POLICY
PDOV
PCI
PROP
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PBT
PP
PS
PAO
PG
PY
PTERE
PGOF
PALESTINIAN
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PSEPC
PREFA
PGOVE
PINF
PHUMPGOV
PNG
PMIL
PGOC
PFOR
PCUL
PLN
PSA
PGIV
POLINT
PAS
POGOV
PHUMPREL
PHUMBA
PEL
PGGV
PNR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PGOVLO
PRAM
PHUS
PDEM
PECON
PF
POV
PROV
PRL
PREO
PAHO
PHUH
PSI
PINL
PU
PRGOV
PAIGH
POLITICAL
PARTIES
POSTS
RS
RU
REACTION
REPORT
REGION
RIGHTS
RO
RW
RCMP
RF
RM
RFE
RSP
RP
RICE
ROBERT
ROOD
RELATIONS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
RUPREL
RSO
SU
SNAR
SO
SOCI
SW
SENV
SMIG
SCUL
SP
SZ
SENVKGHG
SR
SY
SA
SYRIA
SF
SI
SC
SWE
SARS
STEINBERG
SN
SG
SIPRS
ST
SEVN
SL
SPCE
SNARIZ
SSA
SNARCS
SYR
SK
SPCVIS
SHUM
SIPDIS
SHI
SH
SOFA
SEN
SNARN
SAARC
SAN
SANC
SCRS
TRGY
TBIO
TU
TF
TERRORISM
TI
TSPL
TPHY
TH
TIP
TSPA
TC
TO
TW
TX
TZ
TNGD
TT
TL
TV
TFIN
TS
TRSY
TINT
TN
TURKEY
TBID
TD
TK
TR
THPY
TP
TAGS
UNGA
UN
UK
US
UNC
UNSC
USUN
UG
UP
UY
USEU
UNESCO
USPS
USTR
UZ
UNHRC
UNO
UNMIK
UNAUS
UNHCR
UNCHR
USAID
UNVIE
UAE
USOAS
UNFICYP
UV
UNEP
UNODC
UNCHS
UNIDROIT
UNDESCO
UNDC
UNCHC
UNDP
UNCND
USNC
UNPUOS
UNICEF
UNCSD
UE
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 07TORONTO90, ILLICIT DRUG PRODUCTION AND TRAFFICKING IN ONTARIO
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #07TORONTO90.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
07TORONTO90 | 2007-03-08 08:08 | 2011-04-28 00:12 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Consulate Toronto |
VZCZCXRO9646
RR RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHON #0090/01 0670859
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080859Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL TORONTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1868
INFO RUCNCAN/ALCAN COLLECTIVE
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEWMCS/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TORONTO 000090
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR SOCI PGOV KCRM CA
SUBJECT: ILLICIT DRUG PRODUCTION AND TRAFFICKING IN ONTARIO
Ref: 06 Ottawa 2645
Sensitive But Unclassified - protect accordingly.
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Police seizures and arrests during the past year
show that illegal drug activity, including cross-border smuggling,
continues to be a big problem in Ontario. Police have seized large
quantities of ecstasy, cocaine, and marijuana. They have discovered
and shut down nearly 300 indoor marijuana grow operations in the
Greater Toronto Area. Police recently uncovered several marijuana
trafficking rings operating at the Akwesasne First Nations Reserve,
which borders the U.S. in eastern Ontario. Police discovered two
large methamphetamine labs north of Toronto. Police believe
organized crime is behind much of the large-scale illegal drug
activity. END SUMMARY
Thousands of Pills: Ecstasy Produced in Large Amounts
--------------------------------------------- --------
¶2. (SBU) Three major examples from the past year - by no means the
only ones - include: In January 2006 Toronto Police charged nine
Greater Toronto Area (GTA) residents for their involvement in the
importation of approximately 4,500 kg of Chinese MDP2P, the main
ingredient used to produce Ecstasy tablets. This amount of MDP2P
could produce 30 million Ecstasy tablets. "Ecstasy production in
the GTA has been on the rise and recent investigations have shown
that this increase is tied to both domestic and international
markets," Supt. Ron Allen, Officer in charge of the GTA Drug Section
told the media at that time.
¶3. (SBU) In September 2006 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
arrested four Toronto residents and two Mississauga residents in
connection with an MDMA ring trafficking drugs between Canada and
the United States. The investigation was prompted by U.S.
authorities, who identified a Canadian source for MDMA distributed
in the U.S. Large amounts of the MDMA were allegedly exported, with
proceeds being funneled back into Canada. Those arrested are
charged with conspiring to export approximately 250,000 MDMA
tablets, worth approximately C$5 million, into the United States.
¶4. (SBU) In October 2006 a Canadian-American joint investigation
identified a Windsor-based criminal organization trafficking ecstasy
from the Toronto and Windsor areas into the U.S. During the 6 month
investigation, police intercepted approximately 55,000 tablets,
containing both ecstasy and methamphetamine. Police charged 16
Ontario residents and 9 Michigan residents. In August 2006 police
found 68,000 tablets of ecstasy, with an estimated street value of
C$1.3 million, in storage units in the west end of Toronto. A
Mississauga man, his parents, and an associate were charged with
various drug and weapon offenses.
Marijuana Grow-Ops a Constant Concern
--------------------------------------
¶5. (SBU) The U.N. Office of Drug Control (UNODC) estimates that 960
to 2,400 metric tons of marijuana is produced annually in Canada,
25% of which is produced in Ontario. Police dismantled over 270
indoor grow-ops in the GTA in 2006. In January 2007 Toronto police
told the press they have been discovering about one grow-op a day.
¶6. (SBU) Police note that most of these operations take place
outside high-density urban areas, due to lower real estate prices
and increased privacy. The average grow-op is in a private
residence, usually a detached house of between 2,500 square feet and
3,000 square feet, and contains some 400 - 500 plants, worth
C$400,000 - C$500,000. Greenhouse and clone technology in indoor
grow-ops allow for 4-6 harvests per year, as opposed to one or two
using traditional methods.
Akwesasne Reserve a Marijuana Smuggling Site
---------------------------------------------
¶7. (SBU) In December 2006 police seized 117 lbs of marijuana from a
resident in the Canadian portion of the Akwesasne Territory Mohawk
Reserve, an Indian reservation located on both sides of the
Canada-U.S. border on the east end of Lake Ontario. A 41 year-old
man was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking. The
Awkesasne Territory Mohawk Reserve was also the site of another
cross-border bust on November 20, 2006. In that case, 12 people
were arrested after a 2 year investigation of a drug trafficking and
cigarette smuggling ring. According to the Cornwall RCMP,
cigarettes were manufactured in a factory located on the American
side of the reserve and smuggled into Canada by boat across the St.
Lawrence River. Profits from the cigarette sale were used to
purchase marijuana, which was then distributed in the U.S.
¶8. (SBU) The Akwesasne Reserve has historically been an attractive
site for smuggling and drug trafficking (see reftel). It straddles
TORONTO 00000090 002 OF 003
the Ontario-Quebec provincial border and spans the Canada-U.S.
border. The Reserve is known as the St. Regis Mohawk Reserve in New
York. The 401 Trans-Canada highway is conveniently located just
outside the reserve, providing direct routes west to Toronto and
east to Montreal. Federal police estimate that C$1 billion in drugs
and contraband flow internationally through the reserve each year.
Cocaine Imported, Marijuana Exported
-------------------------------------
¶9. (SBU) Large recent cocaine seizures in Ontario may indicate
sizable drug pipelines operating across borders. Ontario-grown
marijuana, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), is
often exported to the U.S. in exchange for cocaine. Such an
operation was dismantled in May 2006 by Toronto Police and U.S. law
enforcement agencies, which seized 48 kg of cocaine, worth an
estimated C$1.5 million; 1,200 lbs of marijuana, worth an estimated
C$3.6 million; and 200 Ecstasy tablets. Authorities charged 24
people with 250 drug-related charges. Trucks, cars, and boats, 14
of which were seized by police, were used to transport the marijuana
across the border, where it was sold. The proceeds from the sale
were used to purchase cocaine in the U.S, which was then imported
back into Canada.
¶10. (SBU) In February 2007 Canadian Border Services Authority (CBSA)
officers seized 171 kg of cocaine at the Ambassador Bridge in
Windsor, worth C$21 million, one of the largest cocaine seizures
ever made at a Canadian land border crossing. Two men, a
Mississauga resident and a Brantford resident, were charged with the
importation of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled
substance for the purpose of trafficking.
¶11. (SBU) In February 2007, Halton Regional Police (west of the GTA)
found more than 200 kg of uncut cocaine, worth C$20 million, inside
a transport truck which entered Canada from the U.S. Investigators
believe that the drugs were destined for a distributor, and that
organized crime was involved. The driver of the truck, a Brampton
resident, was arrested for drug trafficking.
¶12. (SBU) On February 13, 2007 Ottawa Police busted a cocaine and
ecstasy ring, believed to have been distributing between 30 and 50
kg of cocaine per month. Four Montreal area raids and eight Ottawa
area sites led to the arrest of 18 people, including the head of the
ring. Together, they face 138 drug, weapons, and criminal activity
charges. The operation seized a variety of drugs (22 kg of cocaine,
12 kg of Ecstasy, 729 grams and 176 plants of marijuana), worth
C$3.3 million.
Meth 'Super-labs' also Raided in Ontario
-----------------------------------------
¶13. (SBU) A methamphetamine 'super-lab' bust on February 16, 2007
resulted in the seizure of approximately 21 lbs of powdered
methamphetamine, worth over C$950,000; 1.75 lbs of crystal
methamphetamine worth C$148,000; and precursor chemicals. The lab,
one of the largest methamphetamine labs ever discovered in Ontario
according to the OPP, was discovered in a rental cottage in
Gooderham, Ontario, 200 km northeast of Toronto. One Mississauga
man was charged with the production of a controlled substance and
possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.
¶14. (SBU) Last June police seized 35 kg of methamphetamine at a
well-hidden methamphetamine 'super-lab' near Lion's Head, 200 km
northwest of Toronto. Police also seized 25 kg of the precursor
drug ephedrine and charged one Kitchener resident with possession
for the purpose of trafficking and one Mexican citizen with making
and possessing a controlled substance and conspiracy. According to
the RCMP Drug Report for 2006, while methamphetamine lab activity
continues to be most prevalent in the West, it is rapidly spreading
across Canada. The number of production sites discovered in Ontario
ranks second only to British Columbia.
Organized Crime Profiting From Illegal Drug Trade
--------------------------------------------- ----
¶15. (SBU) It seems clear that organized crime is involved in the
drug trade. An investigation of the outlaw biker organization
Hell's Angels culminated in mass raids across the province on
September 30, 2006. Police seized C$2.9 million worth of drugs,
including 50,000 ecstasy tablets, 13 kg of cocaine, and 2 kg of
crystal methamphetamine. According to the 2006 Organized Crime
Report by the Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada, street gangs,
80 of which are active in Toronto, mainly traffic the drugs that are
provided by higher level criminal organizations, such as biker
gangs.
¶16. (SBU) COMMENT: Police suspect organized criminal groups have
TORONTO 00000090 003 OF 003
become increasingly involved in both the large-scale production and
distribution of synthetic drugs, notably ecstasy and cocaine. The
sophisticated drug producing capabilities of the raided sites and
large volumes seized of precursor drugs, weapons, currency, boats,
and vans point to the involvement of organized crime. These
criminal organizations are looking for efficiency; they are
producing multi-kilogram quantities at well-hidden "super-labs," and
using imported MDP2P to speed the production process. Marijuana
grow operations have also become increasingly well-hidden, setting
up in suburban areas and keeping up the appearance of
well-maintained family homes, often with young families living
within these residences. Law enforcement officials find detection
of this kind of grow-op particularly difficult.
¶17. (SBU) COMMENT (continued): Senior provincial officials tell us
they are challenged by the illegal drug activity but are committed
to aggressively tackling the problem. Toronto-resident U.S. law
enforcement officials note that cooperation with provincial and
federal law enforcement officials on this type of cross-border cases
is excellent.
NAY