Ottawa police arrest 17 in organized crime network bust

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Ottawa police say 17 people face nearly 150 charges related to drug trafficking and violent crime, with arrests spanning three different organized crime groups in the national capital region.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Chief Eric Stubbs said the charges varied from attempted murder, drug trafficking, possession of weapons and assault to assaulting police. The arrests came after multiple warrants were executed, with the investigation targeting leaders of crime networks in Ottawa and Gatineau, he said, resulting in multiple people facing charges for participating in or supporting a gang.

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“These charges are significant and highlight the investigation’s focus on individuals who planned, organized and sustained criminal activities, often using violence to maintain control,” Stubbs said.

Of the 17 charged, 14 have been arrested, and three remain at large, Stubbs said.

The 18-month investigation was carried out with the Ontario Provincial Police, and warrants were executed on Nov. 7 and 12. Five guns were seized, as well as 6.5 kilograms of cocaine and “a small amount” of crack cocaine.

“These individuals came to our attention during criminal investigations that involved violent crimes including homicides and shootings,” Stubbs said, but, when pressed, he did not identify which specific homicide or violent crime.

Supt. Jamie Dunlop, director of the force’s serious and organized crime unit, said he believed the arrests would result in “a change in our environment in regards to the violence we’re seeing.”

While the 17 people charged are affiliated with three distinct crime groups, there are connections between them as well, Dunlop said.

“When you think about that many people involved in this trade, and this level of violence we see in our city, the shootings and what have you, we’re hopeful we’re going to see an immediate impact, and see a decrease,” he said.

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OPP Insp. Michael Moore said crime knew no borders, and the provincial police’s criminal investigation branch aided in “disrupting” the crime syndicate’s drug trafficking networks in Ottawa and the surrounding region.

“We are extremely aware of the devastating effects that illegal drugs can have on our neighborhoods,” Moore said. “Therefore, collaboration amongst police services is crucial in the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking.”

The following people, all from Ottawa, face numerous charges:

• Mussa Aden, age 29: six charges
• Yaheya Benamiar, age 26: four charges
• Aaron Decastro-Singh, age 39: two charges
• Faisal Fareed, age 28: 19 charges
• Ahmed Hassan, age 30: four charges
• Bayle Khandid, age 31: seven charges
• Bile Khandid, age 33: six charges
• Yasin Mohamed, age 36: four charges
• Tyson Morris, age 35: 16 charges
• Ibtisam Rijal Hersi, age 27: four charges
• Moussa Saleh Ali, age 35: five charges
• Abdullahi Shahreen, age 28: 33 charges
• Kalif Shahreen, age 29: 17 charges
• Yussuf Tarabi, age 35: seven charges
• Abdulaziz Warsame, age 30: seven charges
• Leban Xadi, age 29: six charges
• Darioush Yavari, age 31: two charges

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Police identified Abdullahi Shahreen, Khalif Shahreen and Bayle Khandid as the de facto leaders of three distinct criminal groups.

Bayle Khandid and Bile Khandid were identified as family members of two serving Ottawa Police Service officers, in an explosive $2.5-million lawsuit that alleges the OPS wiretapped and surveilled five of its Somali officers.

Liban Farah and Mohamed Islam, two of five Somali officers alleging they were subjected to surveillance because of their race and anti-racism efforts inside the force, are first cousins, and are also first cousins with “gang-affiliated” Bile Khandid and Bayle Khandid.

The lawsuit said Farah disclosed that connection when he joined the guns and gangs unit in 2018. In July 2021, Islam was ordered to attend the police station while on parental leave and was questioned about Bile and Bayle. Islam said he “was aware of their criminal lifestyle, and that he had no relationship with them and had not seen or spoken to them in many years.”

When asked if this connection between serving Ottawa Police Service members complicated the investigation, Stubbs said he didn’t want to say anything that could possibly jeopardize the investigation or potential court proceedings.

Police said the investigation was ongoing.

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