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Area OPP Police Press Releases

$18 Million Drug Bust – 19 Arrested

(ESSEX COUNTY, ON) – On May 5, 2021 at 8:00 a.m., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-led Provincial Joint Force Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET) executed five Cannabis Act search warrants at three greenhouse locations and two residences on County Road 34 and County Road 31 in Kingsville and Seacliff Drive West in Leamington.

PJFCET, members of the Essex County Detachment, Essex County Crime Unit, OPP Regional Community Street Crime Units (CSCU), along with members of the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB) members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and the Provincial Operations Intelligence Bureau (POIB) seized just over 20,000 cannabis plants, over 1400 pounds of processed cannabis, a quantity of Canadian currency and marihuana processing equipment.

The total value of seized cannabis is estimated to be over $18 million dollars.

Li Yi CAO, 34-years-old of Mississauga is charged with:

  • Possessing Cannabis for the Purpose of Selling, section 10(2) of the Cannabis Act (CA)
  • Cultivate, Propagate or Harvest any cannabis plant at a place that is not their dwelling-house, section 12(6) (a) CA. (three counts)
  • Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5000-Criminal Code of Canada 354(1)(a).

The following individuals are charged under the Cannabis Act (CA) with Possessing Cannabis for the Purpose of Selling, section 10(2) CA and Cultivate, Propagate or Harvest any cannabis plant at a place that is not their dwelling-house, section 12(6) (a) CA.

  • Xu CHEN, 37-years-old, of Kingsville, ON.
  • Kim Duong DIEP, 51-years-old of Kingsville, ON.
  • Zhenying FU, 57-years-old of Scarborough, ON.
  • Cheng Yun LIN, 52-years-old, of Kingsville, ON.
  • Fa Guan LIN, 72-years-old of Kingsville, ON.
  • Thoa NGUYEN, 43-years old of Kingsville, ON.
  • Yanfang SU, 53-years-old of Kingsville, ON.
  • Yanchun SUN, 49-years-old of Scarborough, ON.
  • Bing WANG, 40-years-old of Kingsville, ON.
  • Pinguang WANG, 65-years-old of Markham, ON.
  • Ying Sheng CHENG, 57-years old of Wheatley, ON.
  • Carlos Alejandro TORRES-VALENZUELA, 36-years-old of Kingsville, ON.
  • Yong Chao WANG, 57-years-old of Kingsville, ON.
  • Tran Thi ANH, 19-years-old of North York, ON.
  • Hien Thi DO, 55-years-old of Leamington, ON.
  • Hua Zhi LAN, 59-years-old of Kingsville, ON.
  • Thi Thuy NGUYEN, 53-years-old of Kingsville, ON.
  • Jianer WANG, 58-years-old of Kingsville, ON.

The accused will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Leamington at a later date.

 The investigation is ongoing.

The PJFCET is responsible for enforcing the cannabis laws and investigating criminal enterprises that exploit or abuse the legal cannabis market. 

“The proliferation of illegal marihuana grow operations, as evidenced by this recent significant seizure in Leamington and Kingsville, demonstrates the resolve by criminal enterprise groups to profit from illegal activity. To those individuals or groups who continue to profit from these illegal grow operations, the OPP will relentlessly pursue your interests, seize your property and introduce you into the criminal justice system.” – Inspector Glenn Miller – OPP Essex County Detachment Commander.

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