33 people have been busted for a combined 174 criminal offences related to drug trafficking, proceeds of crime and conspiracy, and more than $37.2m worth of cocaine, meth and fentanyl was seized in what Winnipeg police are calling the largest drug bust in Manitoba history.
In total, more than 525kg of drugs were seized, with the majority confiscated in Winnipeg. Haul was 339 kg of meth, 175 kg of cocaine and 11.25 kg of fentanyl.
Among those arrested are upper echelon of organized crime in Canada, including the Hells Angels, Wolfpack Alliance and Mexican cartel. Cops seized 14 guns, $825,000 in cash and 1.35 million illegal cigarettes.
Thomas Barnecki, 45, had been known to police for at least 20 years, dating back to a 2008 conviction for drug trafficking. Barnecki’s past includes a 2012 arrest and 6½ year sentence for a trafficking investigation, dubbed Project Flatlined, which involved the Hells Angels and Redline Support Crew. Barnecki, who was 31 at the time, was a Redline associate and ‘street boss.’ He was convicted again in 2019 for trafficking and weapons offences and sentenced to five years. He was arrested on Jan. 8, 2025, after police went into his stash suite and found two kilos of cocaine, four handguns and ammunition. Barnecki pleaded guilty in November and was sentenced to 10 years.
University student Tongun Tongun became a cop target. They put tracking devices on his Chevrolet Cruise and tapped his cellphone. They monitored his movement between stash houses. The next day, cops busted Tongun and a co-accused. Tongun’s vehicle contained 50 kg of cocaine. Tongun bought eight years.
Bahadur Bobir, 30.
Zubair Mohammad-Zarif, 34.
Samantha Graham, 28.
Christopher Rundle, 44.
Tyren Petiquan-Landon, 19.
Ronald Zastre, 33.
Tiffany Church, 34. ..
Matthew Haiko, 46.
Tongun Tongun, 24.
Hothaifa Hassan, 24.
George McFarlane, 50.
Clinton Netemegesic, 36.
Addison Perry, 29.
Daniel Finkbeiner, 38.
Savannah McDougall, 24.
Thomas Barnecki, 45.
Cory Kozmenski, 48.
Carol Dignard, 63.
Norman Leduc, 60.
Connor Abraham, 21.
Mohammed Makhlouf, 23.
Gage Hale, 31.
Seth Driedger, 24.
Shelby Hershfeldt, 39.
Kaleigh Lajoie, 22.
Richard Barnecki, 43 of Ile Des Chenes, MB.
Gary Benjamin Thompson, 45 of Morris, MB.
Brayden Lindsay, 27 of Brandon, MB.
Merrick Wieler, 35 of Winkler, MB.
Chelsea Mageau, 35 of Edmonton, AB.
William Meredith, 25 of Kenora, ONT.
Vatana Chao, 35 of Brantford, ONT.
Preaktra Chao, 33 of Brantford, ONT.
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