Peel Police Dismantle GTA Gun Trafficking Ring, Seize 23 Firearms Linked to Mississauga Homicide
Project Red Zone, a cross-border undercover operation, also recovered cocaine and more than 950 rounds of ammunition, with four people now facing charges. A months-long undercover investigation into gun trafficking across the Greater Toronto Area has ended with 23 firearms off the street, four people charged, and a direct link to an unsolved Mississauga homicide.
Project Red Zone, a cross-border undercover operation, also recovered cocaine and more than 950 rounds of ammunition, with four people now facing charges.
A months-long undercover investigation into gun trafficking across the Greater Toronto Area has ended with 23 firearms off the street, four people charged, and a direct link to an unsolved Mississauga homicide.
Peel Regional Police’s Specialized Enforcement Bureau say the operation, dubbed Project Red Zone, infiltrated a firearms trafficking network running through the GTA between October 2025 and July 2026. The investigation was carried out with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario, reflecting how often illegal gun pipelines now cross the border.
What police seized
Alongside the 23 firearms, investigators recovered 824.75 grams of cocaine and more than 950 rounds of ammunition. Fifteen of the guns were traced back to the United States, and several of the seized weapons are prohibited under Canadian law.
Forensic testing tied the firearms to 14 separate shootings across the GTA — and, police say, to a homicide in Mississauga from March 2024, in which one man was killed and another seriously injured. Peel Police say they’ve now taken 125 crime guns off the streets so far this year.
Four charged
Police have laid charges against four suspects:
Stephen Prakash Consala , 24, of Scarborough – 23 counts of firearms trafficking, trafficking ammunition, nine counts of trafficking a controlled substance, and failing to comply with a release order.
Akshaya Srikanthan , 24, of Ajax – 11 counts of firearms trafficking and seven counts of trafficking a controlled substance.
Sammy Shaik , 28, of Mississauga – trafficking ammunition.
Janoj Dhayabaran , 23, of Toronto – three counts of firearms trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Consala and Dhayabaran remain in custody pending a bail hearing. Srikanthan and Shaik have been released and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at a later date. None of the charges have been proven in court.
Police credit intelligence-sharing
The investigation was funded through the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General, with support from Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario.
“This investigation demonstrates the value of intelligence-led policing and the importance of collaboration across jurisdictions,” said Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich. “The illegal firearms trade is increasingly interconnected, requiring law enforcement agencies to work together, share intelligence, and coordinate enforcement efforts. Through these partnerships, we can remove dangerous weapons from our streets and enhance community safety.”
Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact Peel Regional Police’s Specialized Enforcement Bureau at 905-453-2121, ext. 3515.