(TORONTO, ON) – Five accused are facing 12 criminal charges after search warrants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Gravenhurst netted nearly 300 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of approximately $29 million.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Provincial Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team (PGNG) initiated Project SHEARWATER in September 2024 after investigators became aware of high-level drug trafficking activity. This five-month intelligence-led investigation focused on a cocaine trafficking network spanning throughout the GTA. The OPP Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit (PWEU), Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF), OPP Central Region Community Street Crime Units (CSCU), Toronto Police Service (TPS) and York Regional Police (YRP) assisted throughout this operation.
On December 13, 2024, PGNG executed a search warrant on a residence and vehicle in Mississauga. Between January 16 and 17, 2025, the OPP-led PGNG, OPP PWEU, OPP CSCU, OCTF, as well as TPS Emergency Task Force and Durham Regional Police Service, executed five search warrants in Toronto, Ajax, Markham and Gravenhurst, and five search warrants on vehicles.
Throughout the investigation, police seized 299 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of approximately $29 million, and more than $50,000 in Canadian currency.
The Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit has been engaged to investigate the financial component of Project SHEARWATER.
Four of the accused have been arrested and charged with 11offences under the Criminal Code (CC) and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). One accused is a Mexican national who was subject to an immigration warrant for removal issued by the Canada Border Services Agency.
Javier Luis MARTINEZ HERNANDEZ, age 29 of London, has been charged with the following two offences:
- Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000, s. 354(1) CC
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine, s. 5(2) CDSA
Jason TSANG, age 40 of Markham, Sajjad WADIWALLA, age 42 of Ajax, and Philippe PAYEUR, age 48 of Toronto, have each been charged with the following three offences:
- Conspiracy to commit an indictable offence – trafficking cocaine, s. 465(1)(c) CC
- Trafficking – cocaine, s. 5(1) CDSA
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine, s. 5(2) CDSA
Two of the accused remain in custody and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto on a later date.
An arrest warrant has been issued for the fifth accused, Brian NELSON, age 38 of Toronto, who is wanted for conspiracy to commit an indictable offence – trafficking cocaine contrary to s. 465(1)(c) of the CC.
The OPP is committed to deterring, detecting and disrupting criminal activity in Ontario to keep our communities safe and secure.
QUOTES
“This quantity of cocaine is a significant seizure and is the result of excellent investigative work by dedicated members of the OPP and our partners. These investigators work countless hours to preserve the safety of our province by deterring, detecting and disrupting criminal activity, keeping our communities safe and secure.” – OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart, Bureau Commander, Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau
RESOURCES
The Project Shearwater video announcement as well as b-roll video footage are available on YouTube.
This investigation is complete. Anyone with any information about the trafficking of illegal drugs or the whereabouts of the individual outstanding is urged to call OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
About PGNG
The OPP-led PGNG is dedicated to disrupting criminal street gang activity through intelligence-led, multijurisdictional drug trafficking investigations and reducing the number of illegal firearms in the province of Ontario. The PGNG works in partnership with the OPP-led PWEU as well as the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), led by the United States Department of Homeland Security. The PGNG is comprised of members from 20 police services in both Ontario and Quebec as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
