34 arrested, more than $2.7 million in drugs seized following months-long investigation

Police forces across the GTA have teamed up to shut down a street gang whose criminal tentacles reached well beyond the region.

Police in Durham Region say a nine-month-long investigation into drug trafficking and illegal firearms began in April 2025, targeting a gang that calls itself “44”. It’s alleged that members bragged about their illicit earnings in social media posts.

Sixty-one search warrants were executed over the span of several weeks within Durham Region, Toronto, Lindsay, York Region, Peel Region and as far as Winnipeg.

Thirty-four people are facing a combined 139 charges, and a large quantity of drugs totalling more than $2.7 million was seized along with 10 firearms – four of which have been traced back to Detroit, where they were stolen.

Durham Police Chief Peter Moreira says many of the suspects charged have previous experience with the justice system.

“During this investigation alone, nearly half of the 34 individuals arrested were already bound by a release order from the courts but were still actively engaged in criminal activity,” said Moreira. “This is not a small number. It’s a clear sign that the current system is not working as intended.”