Three arrested in OPP raids on illegal Niagara cannabis shops
Ontario Provincial Police searched two unauthorized storefronts in St. Catharines and Welland in June and August 2026, seizing suspected illegal cannabis with psilocybin, LSD and DMT products. Three people were arrested in the summer crackdown on illegally operating Niagara shops.
🇨🇦 St. Catharines and Welland, Niagara Region, Ontario · Ontario, Canada
Ontario Provincial Police opened an investigation that linked two unauthorized
Niagara businesses to people suspected of trafficking illegal products.[1]Officers used search warrants to search storefronts in St. Catharines and
Welland.[1]The searches of the St. Catharines and Welland storefronts took
place in June and August during a summer enforcement push.[1]Three people
were arrested during the summer months as police cracked down on illegally
operating Niagara storefronts.[1]
At the storefronts officers seized thousands of dollars’ worth of suspected
illegal cannabis alongside other controlled substances.[1]The seized
suspected products included psilocybin.[1]The seized suspected products also
included lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly abbreviated as LSD.[1]The
seized suspected products also included dimethyltryptamine, commonly abbreviated
as DMT.[1]
A summary of the operation valued the seized product at roughly $69,000 and said
cash was also seized.[1]The detailed account valued illegal cannabis and
controlled substances together at roughly $50,000 for the summer seizures.[1]
Photos and video
Packets of seized product from the Niagara storefront searches. Photo: NiagaraThisWeek.comPhoto details
The exact days of the June and August searches were not given; 2026-09-04 is the article publication date used as the incident date.
No separate cannabis weight, plant count or itemized cannabis value was published, so no kg_seized or value figure is recorded.
The summary reports roughly $69,000 in product plus cash while the detailed account reports roughly $50,000 in cannabis and controlled substances together; the contradictory combined totals are left out of figures.
The amount of cash seized was not stated.
No names, charges or court outcomes were reported for the three arrested people.
The summary names the Niagara Regional Police while the body describes an Ontario Provincial Police investigation; the report attributes the operation to the OPP as stated in the body.
Only one opened source for this event was found despite additional searches.
Granby police raided an apartment on rue Neil on 10 November 2026 without making any arrests, following an investigation opened in August into suspected cannabis sales. Officers seized more than 100 grams of dried cannabis, THC concentrate and edibles alongside suspected methamphetamine, psilocybin, weapons and trafficking equipment, and said charges could follow.
City police in Saint-Jérôme executed two search warrants on the morning of 9 November 2026 in the Lafontaine sector, targeting a 59-year-old man in an investigation into suspected cocaine trafficking and illicit cannabis distribution. About ten officers took part and the operation was still under way, with the seizure tally and any charges to follow.
Sûreté du Québec officers searched a home on rue Guindon in Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon on 5 November 2026 and seized more than two kilos of cannabis, four long guns and an electroshock weapon. The force said the search followed information from the public and that its investigation is continuing; no arrests were reported.
Police in Quebec arrested two people in five searches in Shawinigan and Trois-Rivières on 5 November 2026, part of a cannabis-contraband investigation. Officers seized more than 302 kilograms of cannabis products, including edibles, dried and concentrated cannabis and hashish, along with methamphetamine, cash and contraband cigarettes, and released both suspects pending a later court date.
