Police put dent in Manitoba cocaine, gun trafficking ring
5 people charged with total of 53 offences as part of Project Quarry
Winnipeg police and RCMP seized $60,000 worth of cocaine and opioids, along with 35 guns, as part of a joint investigation into a network of drug and firearms traffickers in Manitoba.
Five people have been charged with a total of 53 offences as part of the investigation, dubbed Project Quarry.
The name refers to the fact that most of the residences involved in the investigation were in the Stonewall and Rockwood areas — home to several past and present quarries. Two of the addresses were in Winnipeg.
Police said they also seized $1,500 cash, drug packaging and trafficking materials, as well as a large amount of ammunition and accessories such as silencers and devices that converted guns into automatic weapons.
Some of the guns were stolen and others were smuggled into Canada from the United States, police said at a news conference on Thursday morning.
"We don't want these firearms on the streets and in the hands of people who are going to use them, not only against their rivals, but what we always see happens is somebody who's innocent gets caught in the crossfire," said Winnipeg Police Service Insp. Josh Ewatski, noting all the firearms were found in a home in Rockwood, just north of Winnipeg.
"This is a huge, huge public safety issue that someone is able to stockpile this many firearms. It's a relief to everyone that we have these ones off the street. However, we know that there are many more out there."
The total value of the seized guns is $160,000 to $200,000, "maybe even a little bit more," Ewatski said.
The total amount of cocaine seized was approximately one kilogram. Ewatski didn't know the quantity of opioids, which consisted of hydromorphone.
The investigation was launched in November 2024 with searches done on homes and vehicles in mid-March 2025. The arrests were made at the time of the searches.
It took time for the announcement of the arrests to be made public because police were involved in other investigations, Ewatski said.
Project Quarry is ongoing and anyone with information regarding illegal drugs and firearms is urged to contact the Winnipeg Police Service's drug enforcement unit at 204-986-7003 or the Stonewall RCMP at 204-467-5015.
Anonymous tips can also be made by calling Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 or submitting them online.
