Michael Perruccio, 33, of Mississauga Faces Drug and Firearm Charges
THUNDER BAY, ON – NEWS – A loaded handgun and significant quantities of suspected fentanyl and cocaine were seized by police during a drug trafficking investigation in Thunder Bay, leading to the arrest of a 33-year-old Mississauga resident.
The investigation, launched by the OPP-led Provincial Joint Forces Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team (PGNG) in August 2024, targeted increased drug trafficking activity in the area.
Officers made an arrest on Cumberland Street on October 1, where a loaded firearm was found in the possession of the accused, along with approximately 85 grams of fentanyl, 35 grams of cocaine, and $4,000 in cash.
Michael Perruccio, 33, of Mississauga, now faces several charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Criminal Code, including:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking – fentanyl
- Unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm
- Careless storage of a firearm
- Knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
- Possession of a loaded restricted firearm
- Possession of proceeds obtained by crime under $5,000
Perruccio has been remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay on October 18, 2024.
The OPP thanked the Thunder Bay Police Service, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, and the RCMP for their support of the PGNG initiative, which aims to reduce illegal firearms and disrupt criminal street gang activity across Ontario.
Anyone with information related to illegal firearms or drug trafficking is urged to contact the OPP or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
