Grande Prairie… Six people have been charged in an extensive organized crime investigation in Grande Prairie. ALERT alleges the group was involved in drug trafficking throughout the surrounding area.
Project Glacier was a two-year investigation led by ALERT Grande Prairie’s organized crime team. The investigation concluded on March 13, 2025 with six suspects being charged with a combined 22 criminal offences.
ALERT alleges that Doug Wheeler was the head of the criminal organization. The 42-year-old from Wembley, Alta. has been charged with instructing the commission of an offence from a criminal organization and conspiracy to traffic drugs, amongst other offences.
ALERT alleges that Wheeler and his associates were involved in drug trafficking offences in Grande Prairie and the British Columbia Peace Region. ALERT seized over a quarter million dollars’ worth of drugs during the course of the investigation.
“Doug Wheeler was allegedly the head of a criminal organization that was deeply rooted in Grande Prairie and beyond. Drug trafficking, linked to his group, would have caused considerable community harm,” said Insp. Brad Lundeen, ALERT.
Other suspects arrested included:
ALERT seized approximately $283,000 in drugs and cash, including:
One of the firearms, a loaded handgun, had previously been reported as stolen. The seized firearms will be sent to ALERT’s Provincial Firearms Solutions Lab for ballistics testing and analysis.
All of the accused are scheduled to make their first court appearance on May 26, 2025 in Grande Prairie.
Project Glacier began in November 2022 and relied on the assistance of a number of partner agencies, including: Grande Prairie RCMP, Grande Prairie Police Service, Public Prosecution Services Canada, Alberta Registries Special Investigations unit, Forensic Accounting Management Group (FAMG), Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC).
ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.
The work we do is about our communities, and that’s why we recognize that residents can be instrumental in tackling serious crime. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a crime, or you suspect criminal activity, please reach out. Your information will remain strictly confidential.
Thank you for helping to make Alberta safer by being actively involved and reporting suspicious activity.
Since 2022, CISA has been guided by four pillars that focus the effort to promote an integrated, intelligence-led approach to combating organized crime; these are:
Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta (CISA) has recently developed an Alberta Firearms Intelligence Centre (AFIC) to equitably expand access to firearms intelligence for all law enforcement agencies within Alberta. AFIC will provide timely, accurate, and actionable intelligence to law enforcement agencies and policy-makers to achieve the shared and collaborative goals of increasing public safety concerning firearm-related crimes.
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2023-24
2022-23
2021-22
FILE INTAKES
680
872
1,149
1,114
3,815
2,994
2,764
SUSPECTS CHARGED
22
16
34
37
109
81
125
CHARGES LAID
87
45
123
160
415
351
413
CHILDREN RESCUED
26
78
56
43
203
46
100
EXHIBITS SEIZED
335
368
545
476
1,724
1,243
1,845
TOTAL PHOTOS/VIDEOS
262,400
511,133
1,374,310
606,254
2,754,097
2,551,921
13,260,819
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2023-24
2022-23
2021-22
SUSPECTS CHARGED
13
10
7
4
34
30
76
CHARGES LAID
79
46
87
19
231
96
157
VICTIM INTERVENTIONS
30
29
17
37
113
28
22
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2023-24
2022-23
2021-22
INTELLIGENCE REPORTS
409
296
327
442
1,474
1,560
1,318
TRAINING COURSES
5
3
8
11
27
36
25
CANDIDATES TRAINED
321
56
135
350
862
933
638
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2023-24
2022-23
2021-22
SUSPECTS CHARGED
40
27
42
32
141
197
168
CHARGES LAID
176
156
237
231
800
1,088
820
FIREARMS SEIZED
105
53
26
48
232
102
126
EST. VALUE OF DRUGS SEIZED
$906,814
$553,851
$2,725,161
$1,148,337
$5,334,163
$10,898,269
$334,093,020
PROCEEDS OF CRIME SEIZED
$218,133
$52,970
$130,996
$230,195
$632,294
$1,432,847
$21,740,617
ARRESTS
CHARGES
FIREARMS
DRUGS
PROCEEDS
CALGARY
24
110
14
$937,422
$65,881
EDMONTON
17
131
45
$592,839
$272,446
FORT MCMURRAY
8
78
4
$352,942
$144,301
GRANDE PRAIRIE
7
17
13
$192,145
$31,855
LETHBRIDGE
7
29
44
$349,773
$51,245
LLOYDMINSTER
24
93
41
$164,134
$12,504
MEDICINE HAT
37
179
13
$293,108
$7,861
RED DEER
17
163
58
$2,451,800
$46,201
TOTALS
141
800
232
$5,334,163
$632,294
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2023-24
2022-23
2021-22
SUSPECTS CHARGED
1
–
1
–
2
1
10
CHARGES LAID
–
–
–
–
–
11
47
STOLEN VEHICLES
23
15
1
6
45
245
118
RECOVERED ASSETS
$1,432,000
$941,025
$108,000
$260,000
$2,741025
$8,420,500
$3,919,500
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2023-24
2022-23
2021-22
FIREARMS EXAMINATIONS
349
351
243
235
1,178
–
–
EXHIBIT EXAMINATIONS
1,316
1,409
891
1,099
4,715
–
–
SERIAL NUMBER RESTORATIONS
31
34
19
24
108
–
–
IBIS SUBMISSIONS
343
421
1,334
304
2,402
–
–
GUN SEIZURES
–
–
1
14
15
–
–
SUSPECTS CHARGED
–
–
4
22
26
–
–
CHARGES LAID
–
–
41
144
185
–
–
Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) involves images and/or videos that depict the sexual abuse of minors – the majority of which involve prepubescent children. Often, CSAM involves explicit and/or extreme sexual assaults against the child victim (Cybertip.ca).
Learn more about Internet Child Exploitation and ALERT’s integrated teams combatting this issue.
Ghost Guns are illegal, privately manufactured firearms or lower receivers. These weapons are often made with 3D-printers, and undermine public safety due to their lack of licensing requirements, serialization and safety controls.
Learn more about Ghost Guns on ALERT’s dedicated Privately Manufactured Firearms info page
