Toronto police say undercover officers posed as gun buyers to infiltrate alleged gun trafficking network

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source Three Toronto residents were arrested and charged with 45 firearms-related offences in a six-month trafficking investigation. “This investigation was about more than the firearms seized or the charges laid,” Insp. Steve Matthews of the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force said on Tuesday […]

Undercover Toronto police officers posed as online gun buyers to infiltrate and dismantle an alleged gun trafficking network, the Inspector of the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force said on Tuesday. Inspector Steve Matthews said the operation, dubbed Project Playfight, began in February 2026 after officers received information that an individual was allegedly selling guns through an online platform. An undercover operation was launched and officers began communicating with the individual online.

“Officers were introduced to additional individuals involved in the sale of firearms and were provided with a list of firearms available for purchase,” Matthews said at a news conference Tuesday. “What began as investigation into one individual selling firearms online quickly grew into something much larger,” he added. Investigators say the firearms were traced back to one individual who was registered to possess firearms and was allegedly acting as the supplier to two other sellers.

On July 29, multiple search warrants were executed in Toronto and Markham and three suspects, Zhuohang Ma, 23, Jun Xiang Huang, 29, and Lie Le, 23, were arrested. The suspects, who all reside in Toronto, face a total of 45 firearms offences. During the raids police officers say they seized 15 firearms, over 1,200 rounds of ammunition, body armour vests, Canadian currency, a 2.5 gram gold bar, and equipment that converts guns into fully automatic weapons.

“Every illegal firearm removed from our streets is one less firearm that can be used to threaten the safety of our communities.” The investigation remains active, Matthews added. Police show guns allegedly seized during Project PlayFight.