Nine arrested in ‘dial for dope’ crack down

Nine people have been arrested and Niagara Regional Police are searching for two more suspects after cracking down on a “dial for dope” service, Thursday.

Police say the investigation included undercover officers, who purchased crack cocaine, powder cocaine and heroin laced with fentanyl from the suspects numerous times in the past four months since it began.

Police believe the suspects were actively selling drugs using various cell phone numbers, and working as an organized team of mobile drug dealers, making themselves available at any time, day and night.

For that reason, police dubbed the investigation Project 365.

In the early morning Thursday, police searched eight residences and two vehicles in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.

Police say they seized a large quantity of cocaine with an estimated street value of $30,000, as well as heroin mixed with fentanyl, and $33,300 in currency, believed to be the proceeds of the sale of these drugs.

Police officers from St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, as well as from the NRP’s intelligence unit, detectives office, morality unit, guns, gangs and grows unit, opiod enforcement unit, emergency tactical unit and K9 unit were involved in the project.

Facing numerous drug trafficking related charges are Husam Ali, 19, of St. Catharines; Mohammed Ali, 20, of St. Catharines; Dolal Jama, 30, of St. Catharines; Gulaid Omar, 30, of St. Catharines; Ibrahim Suliman, 23, of St. Catharines; Mujahid Abdulkader, 27, of St. Catharines; Nazzer Elamin, 20, of St. Catharines; Guled Mohammed, 33, of Niagara Falls, and Briar Goodale, 30, of Niagara Falls.

Cele Kasamba, 19, of St. Catharines, who also faces charges of obstruct a peace officer along with drug trafficking charges; and Moktar Youssouf, 26, of St. Catharines, are still at large.