Over $500,000 in cocaine and nearly $450,000 in cash were seized after London police searched a home on Grey Street and a related vehicle on Wednesday.
Det.-Sgt. Chris McCoy says "For street teams to be out there, seizing these quantities, is something that is out of the normal...having people roaming around out there - criminals - with loaded handguns accessible to them is disconcerting."
Three people are facing charges after police searched the residence and then a vehicle connected to the address was stopped at Highbury Avenue and Hamilton Road.
At the Grey Street address, 102 grams of cocaine valued at $10,200, seven grams of crack cocaine valued at $700 and $425 in cash were seized.
Two men, 48-year-old Oral Beadle and 38-year-old Kevin Henry have been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.
A 2009 Honda Accord was later stopped and as a result police seized:
- 5.5 kilograms of cocaine valued at $550,000
- U.S. and Canadian currency totalling $448,585
- a loaded Norinco 9mm gun with five rounds of ammunition in the magazine
- a digital scale
- cell phones
The vehicle itself, valued at $20,000 was also seized.
As a result of the vehicle search, 34-year-old Orlando Dunkley of Mississauga, Ont. is facing a slew of charges including:
- possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking
- possession of property obtained by crime
- unauthorized possession of a firearm
- careless storage of a firearm
- unauthorized possession of a restricted device
- possess restricted/prohibited firearm
- possess restricted/prohibited weapon
- possess loaded regulated firearm
- possession of a firearm knowing serial number has been altered/defaced/removed
Given the large quantities of U.S. cash, police say they will be looking into the possible involvement of gangs or organized crime.
In a separate investigation, four people were arrested after a loaded handgun, ammunition, drugs and cash were seized from two homes, one on Oliver Street and one on Egerton Street that were also searched on Wednesday.
London police Chief Brad Duncan says the recent busts are a message to criminals "If you're going to deal drugs here, or you're going to bring guns into our community, you're going to be dealing with us and our drug unit."