From: Loop News Jamaica—
Chief Executive Officer of Kings of Kings Promotions, music producer and reggae artiste, Jamaican Colin ‘Iley Dread’ Levy, has been arrested by the Canadian police on illegal firearm and drug trafficking charges.
Levy, 52, was held at his home in Brampton, Ontario during a joint operation including law enforcers from the Toronto police, the Canada Border Services Agency and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which is dubbed ‘Project Belair’.
He has been slapped with eight charges, including possession of a prohibited firearm and drug trafficking.
Levy was arrested on November 1, a day after 50-year-old Rima Mansour, an artiste manager from Toronto, was held by police at the Peace Ridge Border crossing between the US and Canada, allegedly attempting to smuggle 25 firearms in the gas tank of a Nissan Rogue motor vehicle.
Her vehicle was stopped and searched and then taken to a workshop, where the gas tank was removed and taken apart. The guns and 100 rounds of ammunition were reportedly found inside.
Also held during the operation was Alan Cunningham, 52, also of Brampton. He faces 14 charges including trafficking in firearms, trafficking in ammunition and conspiracy to traffic firearms; William Datta, 41, of Ajax, Ontario, who faces 11 charges, including possessing firearms for the purpose of trafficking.
The arrest of Levy and the others came after a summer of high-profile gun violence in Toronto.
The seized guns and ammunition were allegedly bought by legal gun owners in the US states of Florida and Georgia, and police in the US are now trying to find the buyers of the weapons to link them to the alleged gun smuggling ring.
In hailing the arrests and seizure of 30 firearms, 13 kilograms of marijuana, 136 rounds of ammunition, 280 grams of cocaine and $45,000 in proceeds of crime, the Toronto police said they have successfully dismantled a major arms trafficking ring.
Levy is a former winner of the Canadian-based Juno Awards, who made a dent with the singles ‘Mama’ and ‘Reward’ on his Kings of Kings label. He also successfully toured the United States and Europe as a reggae artiste, but has reportedly been battling prostate cancer over recent years.
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