Drugs, Guns, Cash Seized During Edmonton Search

Edmonton… Three stolen handguns and more than $560,000 worth of drugs and cash have been seized after ALERT searched two Edmonton homes.

ALERT’s Edmonton [alert-tooltip title=”ALERT has organized crime teams based in seven cities across Alberta. Click for more info.”]organized crime and gang team[/alert-tooltip] made the seizures and arrested two people after searching homes in the Hamptons and Crystallina Nera neighbourhoods. Edmonton Police Service and RCMP provided assistance when the search warrants were executed on July 17, 2019.

The search warrants were executed as part of a short-term drug trafficking investigation that began in May 2019. In addition to an assortment of drugs and cash, three stolen handguns were recovered.

Two of the handguns were loaded and one was equipped with a suppressor. The handguns had been previously reported stolen from Mayerthorpe, Strathcona County, and Grande Prairie. The [alert-tooltip title=”More and more, ALERT investigators are finding firearms when they investigate organized crime groups who are involved in drug trafficking. Click to find out more.”]firearms[/alert-tooltip] will be the subject of forensic examination and ballistics testing to determine if they were used in any other crimes.

“We’re proud of the significant results this investigation yielded in a relatively short period of time,” said Insp. Marc Cochlin, ALERT Edmonton. “Getting these weapons and drugs off the street will go a long way toward making our communities safer.”

The drugs seized have an estimated street value of more than $400,000 and include:

• 2.4 kilograms of [alert-tooltip title=”Cocaine is a powerful, addictive drug derived from the leaves of coca plants, which are native to parts of South America. Click for more info.”]cocaine[/alert-tooltip];
• 25 kilograms of a cocaine buffing agent;
• 1 kilogram of [alert-tooltip title=”Methamphetamine (or meth) is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system. It is often seen in the form of a white powder with a bitter taste or a pill. Click for more info.”]methamphetamine[/alert-tooltip];
• 305 grams of [alert-tooltip title=”MDMA, also known as ecstasy, was first developed by a German pharmaceutical company in 1912. It was intended as a parent compound to synthesize medications that would control bleeding. Click for more info.”]MDMA[/alert-tooltip];
• 4 kilograms of dried [alert-tooltip title=”Cannabis was legalized by the federal government in October 2017. But that doesn’t mean it is completely off the radar of law enforcement. Click for more info.”]cannabis[/alert-tooltip], along with [alert-tooltip title=”Although cannabis became legal here in Canada in October 2018, many cannabis products and derivatives remained illegal. One such derivative is cannabis resin, more commonly known as “shatter.” Click for more info.”]cannabis resin[/alert-tooltip], oils, and edibles; and
• over 350 assorted packages of illicit [alert-tooltip title=”Anabolic steroids are chemicals similar to the male hormone testosterone; doctors prescribe them to treat problems such as delayed puberty or other conditions that cause the body to produce lower-than-normal amounts of testosterone. Click for more info.”]steroids[/alert-tooltip].

More than $166,000 in cash proceeds of crime was also seized.

Two people were arrested. Cody Hilton, 32, and Connie Liu, 53, have been charged with a total of 40 criminal offences, including: possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking; possession of cannabis for the distribution; possession of property obtained by crime; and numerous firearms-related offences.

Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous.

[alert-tooltip title=”More than 300 municipal police and RCMP officers work together in teams at ALERT to investigate everything from drug trafficking to child exploitation to gang violence. Click for more info.”]ALERT[/alert-tooltip] 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 Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, Lethbridge Police Service, Medicine Hat Police Service, and RCMP work in ALERT.