NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE
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In late 2018, detectives with 2 District (Niagara Falls) Street Crime Unit began a narcotics trafficking investigation in the City of Niagara Falls.
On Dec. 10, 2019 detectives, with the assistance of the Emergency Task Unit (ETU), 3 District (Welland) Street Crime Unit and the Guns Gangs and Grows Unit, executed search warrants at two residences in the area of White Oak Ave and Mann St in the City of Niagara Falls as well as Wilkerson St and Secord St in the City of Thorold.
Officers then seized the suspected illegal narcotics of fentanyl (1.5 kilogram), crystal methamphetamine (1 kilogram) as well as cocaine (0.5 kilogram) along with over $20,000 in currency and various drug paraphernalia.
The street value of the drugs seized is approximately $685,000.
26-year-old Michael Bennett of the City of Mississauga and 25-year-old Marlon Austin Junior of the City of the City of Toronto are facing the following alleged charges:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (crystal meth)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine)
- Possession of proceeds of crime
25-year-old Dylan Griggs of the Town of Wasaga Beach, 18-year-old Taylor Brennan of the Town of Wasaga Beach and 23-year-old Lucas Jamed of the City of Mississauga are all facing the following alleged charges:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl)
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (crystal meth)
- Possession of proceeds of crime
Bennett, Austin Junior, Griggs, Brennan and Jamed are all currently being held in custody pending a bail hearing on Wednesday Dec. 11, 2019 at the Robert S.K. Welch Courthouse in the City of St. Catharines.
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