10 charged in Project KIRBY alleged gun smuggling

By Christian Bouchard

An investigation throughout Southern Ontario has led to 10 people being charged with a combined 111 offences relating to the Criminal Code of Canada, the Controlled Drug and Substances Act and proceeds of crime.

Project KIRBY began in March 2015 after Ontario Provincial Police began investigating several citizens of Windsor and Essex County.  The project involved several forces including Essex County OPP, Windsor Police Service and the Canada Border Services Agency.  It also included United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations and London Police Service.

“Criminals involved in smuggling and distributing illegal weapons destined for other organized crime groups in Ontario continue to threaten the safety of all communities, regardless of jurisdiction,” said detective-inspector James Smyth of the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau. “Project KIRBY is yet another example of effective law enforcement agencies working together to target criminality.”

Last month, eight search warrants were executed at locations in Windsor and Essex County and London. As a result, police seized eight prohibited weapons including seven handguns and one Tech-9 machine gun, two kilograms of cocaine $67,000 in Canadian currency and $10,500 in US currency. Police also seized three vehicles and related property.

Although 10 people have been charged, police continue to search for two more suspects at large.

Of the 10 who were charged, seven are from the Windsor-Essex area. The others are from London and one is from Detroit. Another has no fixed address.

“Clearly, all those involved in this investigation are dedicated to improving the quality of life in the communities we serve,” said Essex County OPP Inspector Glen Miller.

According to police, one suspect remains free somewhere in Canada. Investigators believe the person is in either Windsor or the Greater Toronto area. This is in addition to a second suspect, a U.S. citizen, from Michigan, who is also being sought.

“This collaborative investigation is a reflection of successful partnerships in policing, resulting in an improvement to the overall safety of our communities,” said deputy chief Vince Power of Windsor Police Service. “Operations like this reduce violent crime in cooperation with the community.  All members of this integrated team deserve recognition for their hard work and dedication to duty.”