Sixteen people 13 of them residents of Haliburton County are facing numerous charges after a nine-month investigation targeting individuals responsible for trafficking cocaine into the Haliburton area from the Greater Toronto Area.

On Jan. 30 Ontario Provincial Police executed six warrants in the Haliburton County area Oshawa and Scarborough with the assistance of the tactics and rescue unit aviation unit canine unit emergency response team and both the Haliburton Highlands detachment and City of Kawartha Lakes detachment of the OPP.

The “Project Imperial” investigation led by the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau and central region community street crime units led police to identify a significant property crime network directly linked to the accused. As a result police have recovered stolen property taken from both residential and commercial properties in Haliburton County.

“During the course of the investigation OCEB and CSCU combined to seize 400 grams of cocaine/crack cocaine two grams of fentanyl nine long guns two black powder revolver firearms one revolver firearm one replica handgun and more than $12000 in Canadian currency” reads a police report issued Feb. 4. “Police were able to recover stolen property including generators power tools and solar panels.”

In total 16 people were charged with 82 offences charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Criminal Code of Canada after the conclusion of the drug trafficking investigation.

According to the police several of the accused were held in custody upon arrest and are expected to appear at an Ontario Court of Justice in various locations on various dates. The investigation is ongoing.