Five arrested after joint police operation seizes firearms, drugs, and cash in east-end Thunder Bay
THUNDER BAY, ON – Five individuals, including residents from Toronto and Montreal, are facing a total of 31 firearms and drug trafficking charges following the execution of search warrants at two east-end Thunder Bay residences.
Earlier this month, the Provincial Joint Forces Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team (PGNG), led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), launched an investigation into drug trafficking in Thunder Bay.
The operation, supported by the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS), Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS), and other police agencies, culminated in the execution of search warrants on September 19, 2024, at homes on Finlayson Street and Heron Street.
During the raids, police seized two loaded handguns, ammunition, an extended magazine, cell phones, suspected fentanyl, and approximately $10,000 in cash.
Charges
Travas Gayle, 34, of Toronto, has been charged with seven offences under the Criminal Code, including:
- Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
- Careless storage of a firearm
- Knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
- Possession of loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
- Possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000
- Possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order
Joanna-Marie Zannie, 38, and Gregory Rule, 59, both of Thunder Bay, along with Khalad Haouari, 22, of Toronto, and a 14-year-old from Montreal, are each charged with six offences, including:
- Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
- Careless storage of a firearm
- Knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
- Possession of loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
- Possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000
All five accused have been remanded in custody, with court dates scheduled at the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay.
PGNG Operation
The PGNG is a multi-agency task force aimed at disrupting street gang activity and reducing the flow of illegal firearms into Ontario. The team, comprised of members from 20 police services in Ontario and Quebec, focuses on intelligence-led investigations into drug and firearms trafficking.
The OPP thanked the TBPS, NAPS, and the RCMP for their support in the operation.
Anyone with information related to illegal drug or firearm activities is encouraged to contact the OPP or Crime Stoppers.
