Calgary Crime Group Hit with $5 million Drug Seizure

 February 12, 2015

Calgary… Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) has seized millions of dollars worth of cocaine, fentanyl, and other drugs, following a year-long investigation into a Calgary organized crime group.

ALERT Calgary, an integrated team consisting of Calgary Police Service and RCMP members, has seized $5 million worth of drugs from an organized crime group that allegedly supplied drugs throughout the province. Seven search warrants were executed in Calgary on February 4, resulting in the arrest of 12 people.

Of the dozen suspects arrested, their alleged roles in the operation vary to include suppliers, manufacturers, and street-level traffickers. The group operated under the leadership of co-accused Donna Thanh Phoung Tran, 33, and Ronald Gene Wan Wong, 35.

The drugs seized have an estimated street value of $5 million, and include:

• 40 kilograms of cocaine; 
• 11,597 fentanyl pills; 
• 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine;
• 545 grams of heroin;
• 182 grams of MDMA;
• 450 grams of marihuana;
• 60 kilograms of Phenacetin;   

The cocaine and fentanyl seizures are the largest of their kind by ALERT.  

A variety of weapons were seized, including a Glock handgun that had been previously reported stolen and a TEC-9 handgun.

A total of $600,000 cash proceeds of crime was seized, along with five high-end luxury vehicles. These assets will be submitted to the province’s Civil Forfeiture Office.

Twelve people are facing 66 charges, including conspiracy, organized crime, drugs, weapons, and proceeds of crime:

• Mustafa Al-Bedrawi, a 23-year-old man from Calgary; 
• James Joseph Bailey, 43-year-old man from Surrey, B.C.; 
• Todd Randall Chapman, a 31-year-old man from Smithers, B.C.; 
• Duy-Tam Benny Phan, a 20-year-old man from Calgary; 
• Tam Thanh Bryan Phan, a 19-year-old man from Calgary; 
• Dennis Galen Ross, a 27-year-old man from Smithers, B.C.; 
• Khoa That Ton, a 29-year-old man from Calgary; 
• Tommy That Ton, a 19-year-old man from Calgary; 
• Nguyen Duong Yen Phung Tran, a 19-year-old woman from Calgary; 
• Donna Thanh Phoung Tran, a 33-year-old woman from Calgary; 
• Thanh Hoang Tony Truong, 34-year-old man from Calgary; 
• Ronald Gene Wan Wong, 35-year-old man from Calgary;

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. Members of Alberta Sheriffs, Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, Lethbridge Regional Police Service, Medicine Hat Police Service, and RCMP work in ALERT.

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