Three men are facing numerous charges after various police agencies worked together to shut down a local drug trafficking operation that resulted in the seizure of 1.5 tonnes of cocaine valued at almost $200 million.
The RCMP Federal Police Transnational Serious and Organized Crime (TSOC) team from the Kitchener detachment, with the assistance of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Brantford Police and Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), unraveled a sophisticated international drug importation scheme leading to multiple charges against three individuals.
The investigation began in the fall of 2021, after CBSA Intelligence received information about exported shipments originating from Central America.
The CBSA, in partnership with RCMP’s TSOC team, worked to identify the shipments and the individuals involved.
In December 2021, the CBSA began tracking a marine shipping container of interest exported from Central America with a final destination of Saint John, NB. The investigation revealed that the container’s contents were imported by a Brantford resident.
In early January 2022, border services officers in Saint John, New Brunswick, seized more than 1.5 tonnes of cocaine concealed within industrial machinery.
Police estimate the total value of the seized cocaine was about $198 million.
Evidence was turned over to the New Brunswick and Ontario RCMP for further investigation.
Kitchener RCMP and Brantford Police executed search warrants in Brantford and New Hamburg last week.
Kyle Alexander Purvis, 35, of Brantford, is facing the following charges:
-Importing Cocaine
-Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking
Adam Kaup, 42, of New Hamburg, is facing the following charges:
-Unlawfully Importing Cocaine
-Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
Vincenzo Capotorto, of Brantford, is facing the following charges:
-Unlawfully Importing Cocaine
-Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
Two of the accused appeared in court on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20.
Brantford Police Chief Rob Davis, a former Six Nations Police Officer, said collaboration between various police forces is necessary to combat drug trafficking.
“As evidenced in this successful investigation, cross-agency collaboration is essential to combat organized crime and beneficially impact community safety. The Brantford Police Service is proud to be a partner and I would like to thank the officers involved for their outstanding efforts.”
