RAVINDER Grewal, 33, of Toronto was sentenced to six years in prison by Ottawa Judge Catherine Kehoe on Tuesday after pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine and conspiracy to possess the proceeds of crime.

The judge said she was saddened to impose such a stiff sentence on Grewal who had no previous criminal record and was accompanied by his supportive family, and urged him not to indulge in criminal activity when he leaves prison. “You have everything to change your life for,” she added.

A joint forces police operation resulted in charges against nine individuals, including Grewal, the seizure of 24.5kilograms of cocaine and the dismantling of an Ottawa-based drug trafficking network. The two-year project included the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

“This Ottawa based network led by Hisham “Terry” Alkhalil was identified as a priority by our police service. There were clear issues related to public safety concerns and gang related violence both here in Ottawa and across the country,” said Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau last February.

A total of nine search warrants were executed in locations across the City of Ottawa and a total of approximately 75 charges were laid against a total of nine men.

Police said the objective of the Project Anarchy was to dismantle the local drug trafficking network in order to disrupt the distribution of cocaine in Ottawa.  It was also meant to prevent further acts of violence related to the network’s activities in Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada.

The cocaine seized over the course of the Project represented an approximate street value of $12,250,000.  A total of 10 vehicles, four firearms and two imitation firearms were seized.

Two other accused have each been sentenced to five years in prison and the cases against the rest are at various stages in court.