Drugs, Cash, and Weapons Seized in ALERT Calgary Bust

December 4, 2014

Drugs, Cash, and Weapons Seized in ALERT Calgary Bust

Calgary… An investigation between RCMP and Calgary Police Service, under the umbrella of Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), has resulted in the seizure of a quarter million dollars’ worth of drugs and 51 criminal charges against a Calgary couple.

Three search warrants were executed in Calgary on November 27. The search warrants concluded a short-term investigation into the alleged drug trafficking activities of Taylor Zanoni, 23, and Kayla Wright, 30.

The search warrants netted a wide variety of drugs worth an estimated $250,000. The drugs seized included:

·         488 grams of cocaine;

·         390 grams of methamphetamine;

·         229 grams of heroin;

·         319 ml of GHB;

·         358 pills of Fentanyl;

·         35 grams of cannabis resin;

·         2.25 kilograms of Phenacetin;

One of the residences, an apartment in the Mission neighbourhood, was being used as a cocaine conversion lab with cocaine being cooked into crack. A hydraulic cocaine press was seized from the apartment along with other evidence of drug trafficking.

At an apartment along 17 Avenue, investigators found a.357 Magnum revolver with the serial number defaced. Ammunition and other weapons, including collapsible baton, brass knuckles, and body armour, were seized in the totality of the search warrants.

ALERT also seized cash and cars with more than $30,000 in cash proceeds of crime and two luxury model SUVs now being submitted to the province’s civil forfeiture office.

Both Zazoni and Wright were arrested at a downtown condominium. Zazoni is being charged with 33 criminal offences and Wright is facing 18 charges. Charges are mostly related to drugs, but include weapons offences, proceeds of crime, and breach of recognizance.

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. Nearly 400 municipal police, RCMP, and sheriffs work in ALERT.

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