Project Red Zone Ontario 2026 — Peel Police Bust GTA Firearm Trafficking Network Tied to 14 Shootings

Ontario crime news — Peel Regional Police announced the results of Project Red Zone Ontario on September 22: a 10-month undercover operation run with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario that ended with four arrests, 57 charges, and 23 illegal firearms off the street. Forensic investigators have tied those guns to 14 shootings across the Greater Toronto Area — including the March 2024 murder of a 38-year-old man in Mississauga.

By Maplestime News Desk | Mississauga, Ontario | September 23, 2026

Sources: CBC News, Toronto Sun | Last updated: September 23, 2026

Key Takeaways

• Project Red Zone Ontario, a 10-month undercover operation (October 2025–July 2026), was run by Peel Regional Police’s Specialized Enforcement Bureau with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario, and funded by Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General.
• Four arrested — Stephen Prakash Consala, 24 (Scarborough); Akshaya Srikanthan, 24 (Ajax); Sammy Shaik, 28 (Mississauga); Janoj Dhayabaran, 23 (Toronto) — facing a combined 57 charges.
• Seized: 23 firearms, more than 950 rounds of ammunition, and 824.75 grams of cocaine.
• The seized guns are forensically linked to 14 shootings across the GTA; one Glock is tied to the March 2024 homicide of 38-year-old Alastair Robinson in Mississauga.
• 15 of the 23 firearms originated in the United States — police say about 90% of illegal firearms seized in the region are U.S.-sourced.

What Project Red Zone Ontario Uncovered

Operation dates: October 2025 to July 2026. Agencies: Peel Regional Police’s Specialized Enforcement Bureau, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario (CISO). Funding: Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General.

Cross-border undercover work is slow, expensive, and dangerous, which is why it usually only happens when police believe they are looking at an organized pipeline rather than a one-off deal. The results announced this week suggest that read was right: Project Red Zone Ontario produced four arrests and a combined 57 charges covering firearms and ammunition trafficking, controlled substance trafficking, failing to comply with release orders, and possession of controlled substances for the purpose of trafficking.

Of the four accused, Stephen Prakash Consala, 24, of Scarborough and Janoj Dhayabaran, 23, of Toronto are being held pending bail hearings. Akshaya Srikanthan, 24, of Ajax and Sammy Shaik, 28, of Mississauga were released.

The Guns: 23 Firearms, 14 Shootings

Seized: 23 firearms, more than 950 rounds of ammunition, and 824.75 grams of cocaine.

The headline number is not the 23 guns — it is what forensic investigators say those guns were used for. The seized firearms have been linked to 14 shootings across the GTA, which turns a trafficking bust into something far more consequential: the removal of weapons that were actively circulating in violent crime.

“These are not just illegal firearms; they are tools of violence. They are used to carry out extortions, home invasions, carjackings, gun and gang violence. So the fact that we are able to remove these 23 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition will have an absolute impact on our local and GTA community’s safety.” — Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich, Peel Regional Police

The Mississauga Homicide Link

One firearm seized in Project Red Zone Ontario — a Glock 23 Gen 4 semi-automatic pistol, serial number WYE 819 — has been linked to the March 2024 homicide of 38-year-old Alastair Robinson in Mississauga, near Queensway East and Dixie Road. An 18-year-old male was also shot in that incident and survived. Akeem Richards and Sean Downey-Smith were previously charged with first-degree murder in the case.

The gun’s journey tells a familiar story. It originated in Texas and was approximately 4,000 days — roughly 11 years — between the time of purchase and the time of the crime, according to Det. Mike Mavity of the Peel Regional Police Homicide Bureau.

“(The gun) originated in Texas, and it was approximately 4,000 days from the time of purchase to the time of the crime.” — Det. Mike Mavity, Peel Regional Police Homicide Bureau

The U.S. Pipeline Problem

Of the 23 firearms seized, 15 originated in the United States. Police say roughly 90% of illegal firearms seized in the region are U.S.-sourced — a figure that has been climbing for years and is now the defining feature of gun violence in the GTA.

This is the part of the story that never fits neatly into a press conference. Canada can pass whatever domestic firearm laws it wants; as long as a Glock bought legally in Texas can drift north for a decade and end up in a Mississauga homicide, the border is the battlefield. Project Red Zone Ontario worked precisely because it was cross-border — Homeland Security on one side, Peel and CISO on the other. That cooperation model is worth more than any single bust, but it also raises the obvious question: if 90% of the guns come from the south, is one operation a year anywhere close to enough?

Maplestime will provide updates from Project Red Zone Ontario as court proceedings and police announcements are made.

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Twenty-three guns off the street, fourteen shootings linked, and a murder weapon traced back to Texas — is cross-border policing finally winning, or is this just one pipeline when dozens are still running? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Canadian who thinks gun crime isn’t a Canadian problem anymore.