Toronto Police Charged in Sweeping Drug and Corruption Case

In Toronto, eight police officers, including one retired, have been charged with criminal corruption, bribery, drug trafficking, harassment, and unauthorized use of a computer in connection to a sweeping investigation that began in June 2025. The investigation was triggered by an incident involving three hit men targeting a prison manager's home. Constable Timothy Barnhart is accused of unlawfully accessing and sharing confidential information about the manager with the criminal group that orchestrated the attempted assassination. The investigation revealed a network of officers allegedly involved in organized criminal activity and drug trafficking. The charges have shaken the Toronto Police Service.

Eight current and former Toronto police officers have been arrested following an investigation into organized crime's infiltration of the Toronto Police Service. The officers are accused of accepting bribes, aiding drug traffickers, leaking personal information that led to shootings, and assisting in a plot to murder a corrections officer. The investigation, dubbed Project South, began in June 2025 after an attempt on the corrections officer's life. Seven civilians were also charged, including three in connection to the murder plot and four others linked to international organized crime. Police seized a large quantity of cannabis and fentanyl destined for Europe during the arrest of one civilian involved in a drug-trafficking operation. The investigation involved over 400 officers from multiple police services.