OPP’s Community Street Crime Unit Leads Four-Week Investigation

Thunder Bay, ON (July 20, 2025) — The ongoing battle against dangerous street drugs does not seem to end. Today, OPP have announced the results of their latest efforts.

A coordinated, four-week probe by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU), bolstered by the North West Region OPP Canine Unit, the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau and the Thunder Bay Police Service, has resulted in three arrests and the seizure of a significant cache of illicit drugs in northwestern Ontario.

Investigation & Seizures

Beginning in late June, investigators targeted an alleged drug-trafficking network operating out of Thunder Bay and surrounding communities. Over the course of the multi-agency operation, officers executed search warrants and tactical stops that yielded:

• 2 kilograms of suspected cocaine

• 250 grams of suspected fentanyl

• Hundreds of hydromorphone tablets

• Quantity of suspected LSD powder

• 12 pounds of illicit (unlicensed) cannabis

• Drug-trafficking paraphernalia (scales, packaging materials, digital ledgers)

These seizures represent street-value estimates in the six-figure range and a major disruption to the flow of opioids and stimulants in the region.

Arrests & Charges

Tanner HUNT (29), Mississauga

• Charges:

  • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000 (Criminal Code, s. 354(1))

  • Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, s. 5(2))

• Potential Penalties:

  • Possession of Proceeds of Crime: Indictable offence, up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

  • Cocaine Trafficking: Indictable offence, up to life imprisonment; mandatory minimum of 1 year for first offence.

• Custody Status: Remanded into custody; next appearance at Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay.

Jolene Jewel TAIT (40), Thunder Bay

• Charge:

  • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000 (Criminal Code, s. 354(1))

• Potential Penalties: Indictable offence, up to 10 years’ imprisonment, or summary conviction with shorter jail term and/or fine.

• Custody Status: Released on conditions; scheduled to appear at Ontario Court of Justice.

Amanda GOULET (25), Thunder Bay

• Charge:

  • Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Opioids (Excluding Heroin) (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, s. 5(2))

• Potential Penalties: Indictable offence; maximum life imprisonment, with mandatory minimums varying by quantity and substance (commonly six months to three years for first offences involving Schedule I opioids).

• Custody Status: Released on conditions; scheduled to appear at Ontario Court of Justice.

What These Charges Mean

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking is proven when police show drugs were packaged for sale or found alongside cash, scales or distribution records.

• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime targets individuals handling the proceeds of illegal activity—cash, vehicles or valuables acquired through crime.

Both offences carry serious sentences designed to disrupt organized drug networks and deter illicit trafficking in communities.

Community Call-Out

The OPP urges anyone with information on drug trafficking—manufacturing, distribution or possession—to come forward.

• OPP Non-Emergency: 1-888-310-1122

• Crime Stoppers (Anonymous): 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca

Your tips, no matter how small, help investigators dismantle networks that endanger public safety.