Peel Regional Police (PRP) have successfully removed 23 firearms from the streets, disrupting a criminal network linked to violent offenses, including a recent homicide. The operation, known as Project Red Zone, was launched in October 2025, with Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich highlighting its significant impact on reducing gun trafficking and shootings in the region during a press conference.
Milinovich emphasized the importance of the firearms seized, stating that more than half had been used in shootings in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), with one weapon specifically connected to a fatal shooting and causing life-altering injuries to another individual. The removal of these firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition is expected to enhance community safety in both local neighborhoods and the GTA at large.
Detective Sergeant Mark Mazzocato revealed that 15 of the seized firearms were prohibited in Canada and traced back to the United States. These guns had been linked to 14 shootings across the GTA. In addition to the firearms, law enforcement confiscated over 800 grams of cocaine and 951 rounds of ammunition as part of Project Red Zone.
During the operation, officers executed search warrants in Mississauga, Ajax, and Scarborough, leading to the apprehension and charging of four individuals. The accused were identified as Stephen Prakash Consala, Akshaya Srikanthan, Sammy Shaik, and Janoj Dhayabaran, with Consala facing the most firearm-related criminal charges, including firearms trafficking and possession offenses. Other charges against the accused individuals included trafficking in controlled substances and ammunition.
While Consala and Dhayabaran were held for a bail hearing, Srikanthan and Shaik were released and are scheduled to appear in court at a later date. Mazzocato emphasized that each firearm seized represented an opportunity to prevent further gun violence and disrupt criminal activities within the community.
