Three individuals, including a high-level cocaine trafficker, a nightclub owner who acted as a drug courier, and a recently divorced father, have admitted to their involvement in a drug operation that was part of a significant drug bust in Winnipeg. Mohamed Ali, Abdullah Khan, and Ahmed Dini were charged in connection with Project Roasted, an extensive investigation into a drug trafficking network. The arrests occurred after police intercepted them outside Stella’s on Pembina Highway, where they were found with approximately two kilograms of cocaine in their possession.
Concerns arose during the investigation that a corrupt officer, Elston Bostock, may have compromised the case by leaking information to organized crime figures in Winnipeg. Bostock, a former Winnipeg police officer, was sentenced to seven years in prison for various corruption-related offenses, including sharing confidential police information with external parties.
Evidence from seized cellphones revealed incriminating photos and text messages linking the accused to Bostock and his illicit activities. Ali, described as a high-level cocaine trafficker, confessed to drug trafficking in Winnipeg and Niverville between October 2023 and February 2024. The court is expected to sentence him to eight years in prison early next year.
Khan, the nightclub owner, was implicated in moving drugs and coordinating meetings, while Dini, a father of eight, was found with crack cocaine hidden in his apartment during the arrests. Khan admitted to trafficking cocaine and obstructing justice in a separate incident, receiving a seven-year sentence. Dini, at a low point in his life, stored drugs for others, expressing remorse for his actions. He was given a two-year conditional sentence and two years of supervised probation.
The involvement of these individuals in the drug operation, which led to arrests and convictions, shed light on the inner workings of the criminal network uncovered by Project Roasted. Charges against two other co-accused were dropped, with reasons undisclosed by federal prosecutors.