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Ontario Premier Doug Ford isn’t mincing words when it comes to the fact bail was issued to six of nine people charged in the largest drug seizure in the history of Peel Region.
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“This is disgusting,” Ford posted to social media early Monday morning.
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“We need the federal government to get serious about bail reform now. We need tough-on-crime judges who put criminals behind bars, not let them out walking on our streets.”
Last Tuesday, Peel Regional Police announced their largest drug seizure ever, 479 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $50 million.
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The arrests came after a year-long drug importation probe targeted a group of commercial truckers who allegedly transported cocaine into Canada through border points in Michigan.
The nine men arrested and charged in connection with the investigation, face 35 charges related to firearms and drug offences.
They are: Hao Tommy Huynh, 27, of Mississauga; Sajgith Yogendrarajah, 31, of Toronto; Arvinder Powar, 29 and Manpreet Singh, 44, both of Brampton; Philip Tep, 39, of Hamilton; Gurtej Singh, 36, and Karamjit Singh, 36, both of Caledon; Sartaj Singh, 27, of Cambridge; and Shiv Onkar Singh, 31, of Georgetown.
The Toronto Police Association (TPA) lauded Ford’s comments in a social media post, adding that the police union shares his frustration with the legal system.
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“Our members and officers across the province do tireless, often dangerous work to get violent offenders off the streets, only to see them walk free days later,” said the TPA. “Their hard investigative work is constantly undermined by a justice system that fails to prioritize their efforts or the safety of our communities. We need real bail reform now.”
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Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has also weighed into the controversy, urging the federal government to “bring jail, not bail.”
“Liberal catch-and-release laws mean that 2/3 of the people arrested in this massive drug bust have already been let out on bail,” Poilievre said in a social media post last Tuesday. “Criminals get a free ride and Canadians pay the price.”
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