A 55-year-old man from Toronto now faces serious drug charges in Thunder Bay, a city hundreds of kilometers from his home. This isn't a new chapter in his life, but rather a continuation of a pattern stretching back over a decade, marked by repeated encounters with the law.
The investigation began in January, spearheaded by the Ontario Provincial Police’s Provincial Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team. It wasn’t a random sweep, but a carefully constructed operation targeting alleged drug trafficking within Thunder Bay and its surrounding communities, drawing in resources from multiple police forces.
On January 22nd, investigators executed a traffic stop on a vehicle near Dawson Road. The seemingly routine stop quickly escalated as officers discovered approximately 450 grams of suspected cocaine hidden within. Along with the drugs, they seized two cellphones, packaging materials, and a precise digital scale – tools of the trade.
Costy Dessources was immediately arrested at the scene. He now stands accused of both possessing the proceeds of crime and possessing cocaine with the intent to traffic it, charges that carry significant penalties.
This arrest isn’t an isolated incident in Dessources’s history. In November 2020, an OPP officer pulled him over for a traffic violation on Highway 11/17 near Nipigon. A subsequent search revealed a quantity of oxycodone pills, and officers discovered an outstanding arrest warrant in his name.
The details surrounding that earlier warrant remain unclear, and the outcome of the oxycodone charge is currently unknown. However, it paints a picture of a man consistently operating on the fringes of the law.
Six and a half years before that, in May 2014, Dessources found himself in trouble with the Thunder Bay Police. Officers investigating activity in the Intercity area attempted to approach him, but he allegedly tried to flee. The ensuing arrest yielded a shocking discovery: $25,000 worth of crack cocaine.
He was charged with trafficking cocaine and resisting arrest, but again, the final resolution of those charges remains shrouded in mystery. This pattern of arrests, followed by unclear outcomes, raises questions about the effectiveness of previous interventions.
Following his most recent arrest, Dessources was held in custody awaiting a bail hearing scheduled for February 17th. The outcome of that hearing will determine whether he remains behind bars as the case proceeds.
Authorities continue to urge anyone with information regarding illegal firearms or drug activity to come forward. The OPP can be reached at 1-888-310-1122, and tips can be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
