York Regional Police Say 23 People Are Charged and a Markham Man Is Wanted After Project North Star, in Which Searches Across Seven Ontario Communities Produced More Than 1,550 Pounds of Cannabis, Two Firearms and Over $250,000 in Currency (November 4, 2026)

York Regional Police say 23 people have been charged and one man is still being sought after Project North Star, an investigation the force says ran from February to September of this year into the production, trafficking and export of illicit cannabis. Police say search warrants executed between July and September at properties in Markham, Scarborough, Vaughan, Burlington, Milton, London and Ailsa Craig produced more than 1,550 pounds of cannabis, more than 8.5 pounds of hashish, more than 4.4 pounds of cannabis derivatives, small quantities of ketamine and cocaine, infused edibles, two firearms, high-capacity magazines, two Ford pickup trucks and more than $250,000 in Canadian currency. Police say a large-scale grow operation in London was dismantled and an online illicit dispensary was shut down. Police describe the target of the investigation as a criminal group.

Legal status: Charged. None of the allegations has been tested in court and every accused is presumed innocent. One man, Zongyu Zhu, 26, of Markham, remains wanted.

What Police Say the Group Was Doing

York Regional Police allege that the group sourced cannabis from locations across Ontario, including a large grow operation in London, produced it outside the province’s cannabis regulation framework, and sold it on the underground market, including through an online illicit dispensary. The force alleges that members exported cannabis across North America and into parts of Europe using commercial parcel delivery services. CP24 and Global News report those allegations as the force’s.

Police estimate the cannabis from the London grow operation alone at about $4.8 million, and the force puts the total drugs seized at more than $7.5 million.

The Man Still Being Sought

Police are asking for information on the whereabouts of Zongyu Zhu, 26, of Markham, who is wanted on “Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence” and “Possession for the Purpose of Distributing.” The force encourages him to contact police through legal counsel. Anyone with information can contact the York Regional Police Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7841.

The Charge List

York Regional Police attached a charge list for the 23 accused to the release. Global News reports that the 23 face 90 charges in total; that figure is Global’s. CP24 reports that police charged 23 people and are looking for one more suspect.

Every accused is presumed innocent, and none of these charges has been tested in court. The allegations are those of the York Regional Police, as published in its release and reported by CP24 and Global News.