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Montreal police seized 38 kilograms of cocaine and arrested two men, including one from the West Island, as part of an investigation into a criminal organization they allege was distributing drugs between Montreal and Toronto.
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The investigation began in March and, according to a release issued by the Montreal police on Wednesday, the cocaine is estimated to have a street value of more than $1 million.
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The investigation was led by the Montreal police organized crime division. The probe revealed the Toronto area was the supply point and the drugs made their way to Montreal.
Tharushan Nirmalachandran, 33, of Île-Bizard, and a 38-year-old man from Ontario were arrested and were scheduled to be charged at the Montreal courthouse on Wednesday.
Search warrants were carried out in Milton, Ont. and in the Île-Bizard—Sainte-Geneviève borough.
“In addition to 38 kilograms of cocaine, the search warrants also led to the seizure of nine kilograms of methamphetamine, five kilograms of purple fentanyl, 28,000 speed tablets and various products containing THC. Investigators also discovered nearly $1 million in cash,” the Montreal police said
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Nirmalachandran faces a total of nine charges in all: six related to drug trafficking, two related to brass knuckles seized on Tuesday, and one alleging he was in possession of a forged document when he was arrested.
He does not have a criminal record in Quebec, but in 2020, Nirmalachandran was sentenced to 15 months in a federal prison in the U.S. after he was convicted in the United States District Court of New Hampshire of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, in April 2019, Nirmalachandran and two accomplices conspired with others to withdraw money from bank accounts by using cloned debit cards at ATMs. Between April 25, 2019 and April 27, 2019, the trio successfully withdrew at least $43,980 and attempted to withdraw an additional $69,900 from other people’s bank accounts using cloned debit cards.
pcherry@postmedia.com
Two Canadian men accused of stealing from ATMs in New Hampshire
