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ALERT concludes dial-a-dope investigation in Lethbridge

ALERT concludes dial-a-dope investigation in Lethbridge

ALERT concludes dial-a-dope investigation in Lethbridge

February 7, 2013

 

Lethbridge…ALERT’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-Lethbridge) has now wrapped up a four-month investigation into a dial-a-dope group operating in the Lethbridge area that netted police 340 grams of cocaine and six arrests.

 

CFSEU-Lethbridge is an integrated team of Lethbridge Regional Police Service (LRPS) members and RCMP who work together to address organized crime in the community.

“These operations are an important part of our goal to disrupt organized crime in this corner of the province,” commented CFSEU-Lethbridge Staff Sergeant Wes Houston. “With each trafficker we take off the streets, we put another dent in the group’s business activities.”

Between October 2012 and January 2013, officers conducted the investigation, which led to charges against the following four people:

  • Michael Abate, a 24-year-old Calgary man, with four counts of trafficking and two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking;
  • Ephrem Dagne, a 22-year-old Lethbridge man, with four counts of trafficking and one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking;
  • Kenneth Fergusen, a 22-year-old Calgary man, with three counts of trafficking; and
  • Aasish Sanju, a 26-year-old Lethbridge man, with three counts of trafficking and one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Further investigation by CFSEU-Lethbridge, with assistance from the LRPS Community Policing Division, led to additional arrests on January 30.

Following a targeted traffic stop, police located and seized 236 grams of crack cocaine, 84 grams of powder cocaine, a laptop computer believed to be stolen, and seven cell phones from the suspect’s vehicle. The cocaine has a potential street value of $40,000.

Cody Skinner, a 26-year-old Lethbridge man, is charged with possession, possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of stolen property, and trafficking.

A second vehicle stop was conducted on January 30 by LRPS Community Policing Division and a woman was arrested. She was found in possession of 16 grams of crack cocaine, four grams of powder cocaine, and nine grams of marihuana.

Feruza Abdulahi, a 27-year-old Lethbridge woman, is charged with possession, possession for the purpose of trafficking, and obstructing a police officer when she provided a false name to police.

ALERT was established by the Government of Alberta to bring together the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources to tackle serious and organized crime. Over 400 municipal police, RCMP and sheriffs work for ALERT.

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Media inquiries may be directed to:
Staff Sergeant Wes Houston
CFSEU-Lethbridge
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)
403-330-5061

Candace Cook
Communications
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)
780-509-3015

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:

  • Building Relationships with Stakeholders;
  • Promote Intel Sharing Across the Province;
  • Being Proactive and Identify Emerging Trends; and
  • Investing in Our People Through Training and Development

 

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.

Protecting Kids Online | Internet Child Exploitation

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

Stopping Human Trafficking | HUMAN TRAFFICKING & COUNTER EXPLOITATION

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

Intelligence & Expertise | CISA / Training

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

Disrupt & Dismantle Organized Crime | Combined Special Forces Enforcement

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

ANNUAL Regional ResultS

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

Organized Property Crimes | Auto Crimes

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

Firearms investigations | Firearms lab & Gang suPpression teams

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