Toronto man, 26, charged in St. Catharines drug investigation

A 26-year-old man from Toronto has been charged following the seizure of nearly a kilogram of suspected illicit drugs in St. Catharines on Tuesday.

An ongoing investigation into the sale of illicit drugs in the city led Niagara police to a parked gray Chevrolet Sonic found in the area of Welland Avenue and Tasker Street.

As a result of the investigation, officers say they formed the grounds to believe there were illicit drugs in the vehicle, leading them to arrest the driver and conduct a search of both the car and the driver himself.

That search resulted in the seizure of over 400 grams of suspected cocaine, nearly 500 grams of suspected red fentanyl and over $4,500 in cash.

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The suspected drugs found by officers are estimated to have a collective street value of $140,000.

Tiroune Lloyd Hazell subsequently faces charges related to the possession of both drugs with the purpose of trafficking and proceeds of crime under $5,000.

Hazell was held in custody pending a bail hearing on Wednesday. He has since been released with a future court date set for Jan. 11.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the investigating officers by calling 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1009405.

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