Large magic mushroom operation in Puslinch dismantled by York police

York Regional Police raided a multi-faceted psilocybin mushroom operation on Wednesday, including an illegal growing operation in Puslinch.

The investigation started in August when officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Whitchurch-Stouffville, east of Newmarket, a small town in the Greater Toronto Area. Investigators found evidence of laboratories located in Hamilton and Puslinch.

Around midnight on Wednesday, officers executed a search of properties in Hamilton and in Puslinch on Victoria Road South.

In Hamilton, police seized around 100 pounds of magic mushrooms and an undisclosed quantity of cash. In Puslinch, investigators found magic mushrooms growing in bags.

Police estimate the street value of the drugs at around $500,000, though Detective Sargent Mike Cook of the York Regional Police Guns, Gangs, and Drug Enforcement Unit noted that it’s difficult to place a value on mushrooms in their growing stages.

Cook said the lab in Puslinch was a production site divided into several rooms, including a drying area for the plant.

“The York Regional Police has seized more psilocybin this year then I have ever seen in my entire career, and I don’t think for one minute that there’s a coincidence between the amount of magic mushrooms were seizing and the amount of stores that are popping up all over Ontario,” said Cook.

Illegal magic mushroom dispensaries like FunGuyz, who have operated brick-and-mortar locations in Kitchener and Cambridge, have been raided numerous times by local authorities.

“Some citizens may not know these places are completely illegal, but essentially it’s a profit-driven business, putting money into the hands of criminals that are operating in plain sight in people’s communities with a total disregard for the law,” added Cook.

Cook added that York Regional Police and its partners, like Waterloo Regional Police, are focused on shutting these businesses down and holding the owners of these businesses accountable.

“What I’ve seen, in some court decisions, is people are used as employees in the store to insulate the people that are actually running the business. Now our focus is going to be on targeting the people who are running these illegal magic mushroom businesses,” said Cook.

“Essentially every store front is on notice that the police eventually are coming for you, and you are going to be arrested and charged if you are running these businesses.”

The investigation is still ongoing, no arrests or charges have been laid yet.

Anyone with information is asked to contact York Regional Police’s Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7817 or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips or leave a tip online at www.1800222tips.com.