Three individuals, including a prominent cocaine trafficker, a nightclub owner acting as a drug courier, and a recently divorced father, have admitted to their involvement in a drug bust conducted by Winnipeg police. Mohamed Ali, Abdullah Khan, and Ahmed Dini were arrested in connection with Project Roasted, an extensive investigation into a drug trafficking network. The arrests took place as Ali was apprehended at his residence, while Khan and Dini were taken into custody outside Stella’s on Pembina Highway, where they had approximately two kilograms of cocaine in their possession.
Following concerns that the drug investigation had been compromised, police obtained a warrant to search one of the seized cellphones, suspecting a potential link between Ali, his associates, and former Winnipeg police officer Elston Bostock. Bostock, a seasoned constable, was later sentenced to seven years in prison for multiple corruption-related offenses, including divulging confidential police information to external individuals.
Subsequent examination of the cellphone data revealed incriminating photos of Bostock with criminal associates and text messages implicating his involvement in providing police information to Ali and others. Recent court proceedings have shed light on the roles played by the three convicted individuals in Project Roasted and how they became entangled in the drug operation.
A federal prosecutor disclosed that information regarding Ali’s cocaine trafficking activities initiated Project Roasted, leading to a series of search warrants executed at Ali’s residence in Niverville, Manitoba. The searches uncovered cocaine, cutting agents, significant amounts of cash, and drug-related paraphernalia. Ali, identified as a high-level cocaine trafficker, admitted to trafficking cocaine in Winnipeg and Niverville between October 2023 and February 2024. Legal representatives are set to recommend an eight-year prison term for Ali at his upcoming sentencing.
In a separate development, during Khan’s sentencing, it was revealed that he not only served as a drug courier but also owned the Moonlight Lounge nightclub. Khan confessed to transporting a substantial quantity of cocaine and obstructing justice in a related case. He received a seven-year sentence and expressed remorse for his actions during an emotional court session.
As for Dini, a father in his 40s with a background in assisting individuals with developmental disabilities, he was arrested alongside Ali and Khan. Authorities discovered crack cocaine in his apartment, which he had stored during a challenging period in his life following a divorce and financial hardships. Despite being a father of eight, Dini engaged in illicit activities, a decision that puzzled the presiding judge during his sentencing.
Dini was given a conditional two-year sentence, followed by two years of supervised probation, as part of a joint recommendation from legal counsel. Charges against two other Project Roasted co-accused were dropped last year, with federal prosecutors declining to disclose specific reasons for the dismissals.
