Criminally Enterprising Middle Easterners in Canada

"This operation involved non-Indigenous criminal networks exploiting Indigenous lands, with profits that did not benefit our community."

"Criminal activity of this nature does not reflect our values, and we will continue to work alongside our partners to take action against criminal activity that undermines the integrity of our territory."

Six Nations Police chief Darren Montour 

Illegal tobacco manufacturing facility in Six Nations of the Grand River territory. OPP

 

 A bootleg cigarette plant, staffed by thirteen people identified as foreign nationals was raided and shut down on a First Nation reserve where the enterprise was operated by non-Indigenous criminal networks who exploited the Indigenous setting as a means to shield their activities from police scrutiny. Ironically, the criminal enterprise was operated by several Middle Eastern men, resident in Hamilton, Ontario, close by the Six Nations of the Grand River territory in southern Ontario.

 

Infamously, there was chaotic tumult in Canada that arose over reaction among Canadians originating from the Middle East, particularly Palestinians when they took to the streets of Canadian cities condemning Israel for 'genocide' as it reacted to a Palestinian terrorist invasion of southern Israel when thousands of Palestinians went on a large-scale huntdown of Israeli civilians in farming towns and villages close to the Gaza border in a planned exercise of sadistic savagery that included mass rape, mutilation, murder and hostage-taking.

 

The Israeli response to the mass atrocity -- which took over 1,200 Israeli lives and the kidnapping of over 250 Jewish infants, children, elderly, women and men, was to invade Gaza, ruled by Hamas which had led the orchestration of bloodletting, joyously recording their atrocities to be posted on social media --  led to an immediate internationl Palestinian-orchestrated public relations push to portray Palestinians as victims of Israeli aggression and 'occupation'. 

 

To ingratiate themselves with 'progressive' left-wing Canadians, Palestinians and their supporters took to portraying themselves as people indigenous to 'Palestine', as opposed to Jews reclaiming their authentic indigenous ancestral land. Making comparison to aggrieved First Nations whom European colonialism had victimized in settling themselves on already-occupied land that became Canada, the anti-Israel, antisemitic link to Indigenous Canadians forged a partnership in opposing the very existence of the Jewish state. 

 

A handgun seized from a contraband tobacco manufacturing facility in Six Nations on June 11, 2026. (Source: OPP)

 

Working in tandem, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Six Nations Police Service seized five commercial-sized cigarette manufacturing machinery, a handgun and tobacco products holding an estimated street value of over $10 million. Over 40,000 kilograms of contraband tobacco and 300 kilograms of shisha tobacco -- typically made use of with a hookah or water pipe -- were seized altogether.

 

An operation named Project TRACK, that led to the raid was initiated when the Six Nations police requested support from the OPP when their own investigation revealed suspicious activity on the reserve. Police soon discovered that profits which the illegal tobacco production generated were channelled toward a criminal enterprise having nothing to do with the reserve itself, other than its illegal encroachment on reserve property. 

 

Following the enforced search warrants at a manufacturing facility of some considerable size at the Six Nations reserve, a heavy police presence was manifested. A home in Hamilton was also raided. Three stolen vehicles, a truck, $25,000 in Canadian currency, cellphones, assorted electronics and packaging material were seized as well. 

 

Boxes of contraband tobacco found inside a Six Nations facility on June 11, 2026. (Source: OPP)

 

Two men resident in Hamilton were arrested and charged with trafficking contraband tobacco, possession of tobacco manufacturing equipment, manufacturing tobacco products without a licence, and unlawful possession or sale of tobacco products. The men were identified by police as Andrew Besam Hadaddin, 34, and Mustafa Jaber, 45. 

 

As for the foreign nationals discovered when the facility was raided by police -- the thirteen individuals who were working at the factory -- Canada Border Services Agency officers were called in to deal with their presence. The operation has not been concluded with this raid, but remains an ongoing concern.  It would certainly be interesting to learn through that ongoing investigation whether the profits gained in this illegal operation ended up in the hands of terrorist groups in Gaza and Lebanon.

"This investigation highlights the significant role criminal networks play in the manufacturing and distribution of contraband tobacco in Ontario."

"These illegal operations not only undermine public safety but also exploit communities for profit."

"Through strong collaboration with our partners, we remain committed to disrupting these networks and holding those responsible accountable."

OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart of the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau 

 

"A Total Act Of Bastardry"

"Typically, we would only see fentanyl being detected in quantities of one gram or less. To have a detection that is 11 kilograms pure is just quite frankly extraordinary."

"The audacity of the group behind this is just ... outrageous, I'd describe it as a total act of bastardry."

"Th base of the lathe had poor quality welding and touch-up paint applied to it, which frankly just looked out of place."

"[Fentanyl] is one of the more dangerous drugs our officers can come into contact with." 

"We were absolutely shocked by the size of the detection and the audacity of this attempted importation."

"[Generically border force officers] work with its partners both here in Australia and internationally to ensure illicit drugs don't reach our communities."

James Watson, Australian Border Force commander

"Our concern is that if such a large amount of fentanyl was in the hands of Australian-based criminal networks driven by greed, it could have passed uncontrolled and hidden into the community with possibly deadly results."

"Someone out there in the community knows something. We are at a crucial stage in the investigation and would appreciate some more information."

"The interception of this amount of drugs would be a significant blow even to a well-resourced criminal syndicate and prevents millions of dollars of drug profit flowing back into the syndicate to fund their lavish lifestyles or next criminal venture."

Anthony Hall, Australian Federal Police acting commander

Investigators were forced to wear bio-hazard suits as they inspected the shipment.(Supplied: AFP

 

Canada, like the United States, is experiencing a public-health crisis fuelled largely by fentanyl use -- along with fentanyl mixed into street drugs, unknown to users but the cause of many overdoses. Between January of 2016 and December 2021, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, a total of 29,052 deaths attributable to fentanyl took place.

Australian authorities seized the largest ever fentanyl cache being smuggled from Canada into Australia recently. A public warning was issued several days ago relating to the dangers of the opioid known for its explosive potency. Designed to medically treat pain, its use as a street drug often leads to lethal overdoses. Never before has the illicit drug been known to be available for drug users in the bulk and purity the recently seized drugs represented. 

Although Australia has some familiarity with fentanyl drug seizures, none have been in large quantities, about 30 grams being the average. Fentanyl street sales are more generally derived from stolen drugs or medical patches diverted from medical use. The latest discovery came about with suspicions over a shipping container sent by the Australian Border Force for further scrutiny.

Suspicions increased when a forklift raised the lathe out of its shipping container and what followed was a two-week operation to remove and analyze the suspected contents. Officers drilled into the base revealing a light brown substance on the end of the bit, field-testing positive for fentanyl.  Further work was done by officers in full biohazard protection, a decontamination zone, ambulances and naloxone within easy reach. Altogether, 60 kilograms of powdered substance was revealed.

The powder was wrapped in plastic sealed with zip ties, stuffed into metal ammunition cases stacked inside the undercarriage of the lathe. Enough of the substance to produce 4.5 million doses. Along with the fentanyl was found 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $27 million.

A shipment of fentanyl and methamphetamine was hidden inside a wooden lathe, which is a machine for shaping wood or metal.(Supplied: AFP)