An effort to address gun violence in London has led to the arrests of 70 people who face a total of 550 charges.
The charges are the result of a months-long investigation called 'Project SAFE'.
The London Police Service (LPS), with several partners, conducted Project SAFE (Shooting and Firearms Enforcement) between April and July of 2023.
"There really is no question that access to illegal firearms and gun violence are a growing concern not only to the City of London, but across our province, and across Canada," said London police Chief Thai Truong. "Illegally trafficked guns are making their way into Canada and into our communities through sophisticated and organized channels."
London police worked alongside the Sudbury and Hamilton police forces as well as with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Correctional Service of Canada, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Center of Canada (FINTRAC), and the American Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agency to dismantle a gun trafficking ring that brought guns into Canada from the United States.
In February, police arrested a 24-year-old London man, who at the time had nine different handguns. "It was our belief that he had these firearms for the purpose of trafficking," LPS Detective Inspector Chris Churney said.
By March 1, 2023 the City of London had experienced seven public shootings or discharged guns causing great concern for police. "We treat each shooting like a potential homicide," Churney said. "That is the very real danger each time a criminal fires a gun."
The combined factors of the nine-gun arrest and increased gun violence sparked the creation of Project SAFE.
"Project SAFE had three distinct strategies that were linked by the common cause of targeting known offenders, to either gather evidence to arrest and lay charges or disrupt their operations," Churney stated at a press conference on Thursday.
Much of the evidence gathering came from digital analysis and undercover operations. Select London officers also received training to conduct more than 100 bail compliance checks, with people who had a history of gun offences. From these checks, 20 people were charged and arrested for various reasons.
Of the 550 charges laid during Project SAFE, 360 of them were firearms related.
Police allege that Dylan Crawford, the 24-year-old Londoner arrested in February, was one of the main members of the now dismantled gun smuggling ring.
Four of Crawford's alleged co-conspirators were arrested on June 20 and June 21 during a sting that found five handguns, drugs, and other items. Elias Akhi,of Sudbury, Sheldon Hyatt of Hamilton, and Shanoel Williams and Tyreese Cumberbatch, both of London, face more than three dozen charges.
On July 12, a sixth alleged co-conspirator, Brian Hamilton-Hyatt was arrested in Hamilton.
A seventh person, two-time murderer William McDonald, was charged with conspiracy, as police said he tried to facilitate the distribution of the smuggled guns from behind bars.
More than $8.5 million dollars worth of drugs and a total of 26 guns were seized over the course of the investigation.
Churney confirmed that $8.3 million of the seized drugs came from a cannabis lab located on Commissioners Road East earlier this year. The rest resulted from search warrants and arrests when searching for guns.
Churney cited the importance of collaboration between all of the police forces and agencies, saying "criminals do not adhere to any borders, and hence, neither do we."
London Mayor Josh Morgan, was present at Thursday's press conference.
"Days like today are an assurance to the public that law enforcement is coordinated, that they are working together, that the London police service is, even if they can't say what they're doing each and every day, are out there taking illegal guns and illegal drugs off of our streets."
This year, London has seen 20 shootings, 14 of which have been solved with charges laid.
