Canada drug bust: 9 Punjab-origin men held, C$970,000 drugs seized

Winnipeg. Canadian police have arrested nine men of Indian origin who are reported to have roots in Punjab. Police say they ran a network that brought cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine and prescription opioids into Manitoba from three other provinces.

The Winnipeg Police Service said it seized drugs worth about C$970,000. It also seized C$126,000 in cash, six firearms, more than 800 rounds of ammunition, a stun gun and four vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz and a Cadillac. The drugs included 29 kg of meth, 12 kg of cocaine, 3 kg of ketamine and about 25,000 opioid and other pills.

Police said the drugs came from Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. They reached Winnipeg by car, courier, mail and commercial flights and were stored at set properties before being sold.

Inspector Josh Ewatski of the Winnipeg police organised crime unit called it “an organized criminal network operating across provincial boundaries.”

The probe, named Project Pink Panther, began in December 2025 with funding from Manitoba Justice. On August 26, investigators raided locations in Winnipeg and the Greater Toronto Area, including Toronto, Brampton and Alliston. The Canada Border Services Agency, Ontario Provincial Police, Peel Regional Police and the RCMP helped. Police announced the results on Tuesday.

A civil forfeiture claim filed in a Manitoba court makes claims about a 32-year-old accused and his 57-year-old father. It alleges they held “quick meets” lasting seconds in back lanes and parking lots, then drove a “nonsensical route” to shake off surveillance. The son allegedly used names such as “We Haul Express” and “Z. Singh” to book parcels. The father was allegedly seen collecting meth shipments sent from Toronto by Purolator. In July, the RCMP stopped the father for speeding on his way back from Calgary. Police allege they found 5 kg of cocaine worth about C$150,000 in his vehicle.

Six men were arrested in Winnipeg. Tarundev Singh, 32, Devinder Singh, 57, and Karanvir Singh, 24, remain in custody. Amandeep Singh, 47, Mandeep Singh Dutta, 37, and Maganpreet Boparai, 25, have been released. In Ontario, Tarnvir Sandhu, 37, and Karan Joshi, 34, are in custody, while Manjinder Singh Sagoo, 43, was released.

The charges include drug trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime, firearm offences and obstruction of justice. None has been proven in court.

The border agency is checking whether some of the accused can stay in Canada. “The criminal matters have to be resolved before we can take an action on the immigration side,” said Jeryn Peters, its executive director for the Prairie region.