Calgary… A recent drug bust in Calgary took upwards of 20,000 doses of fentanyl off the street, part of a series of recent investigations by ALERT that were aimed at disrupting the opioid market.
ALERT Calgary seized nearly $1 million worth of drugs and six firearms after two homes were searched on April 16, 2021. ALERT seized 4.5 kilograms of fentanyl, along with methamphetamine, cocaine, and buffing agents. Two people were arrested and 39 charges were laid.
“Fentanyl has been a scourge in our communities and organized crime is responsible. ALERT will remain ruthless in our pursuit of drug dealers, and investigations like these, demonstrate our success in getting harmful drugs off the street,” said Supt. Dwayne Lakusta, ALERT CEO.
The million-dollar seizure is the highlight, to date, of a recent string of investigative successes by ALERT Calgary. The unit has worked in tandem with policing partners, such as Calgary Police Service and RCMP to specifically target street-level opioid and meth sales.
“Integration is the key element of ALERT’s success. By working with our partners and sharing intelligence on emerging issues, ALERT’s specialized units are able spring into action and deliver meaningful results,” said Lakusta.
The following provides a brief synopsis and tally of recent investigative success, including ALERT’s most recent bust. The investigations are not believed to be linked:
April 16, 2021 two people were arrested and two homes were searched in Calgary. Nicholas Rybenko, 39, and Wessen Vandenhoek, 35, face multiple drug and firearms charges after ALERT seized:
April 6, 2021 two homes in Calgary’s Beltline were searched and a 24-year-old man was arrested. Ady Zhang Chang was charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime, after ALERT seized:
March 29, 2021 a traffic stop was initiated on a suspect believed to be involved in street-level drug sales. ALERT located drugs inside the vehicle and its occupants were arrested. Amrudin Karimyar, 23, and Mohit Sandhu, 19, were charged, and ALERT seized:
February 2, 2021 ALERT searched two homes in Calgary and arrested a 31-year-old man. Jaspreet Cheema faces a number of drugs and firearms charges after ALERT seized:
Since 2018, ALERT teams from across the province have seized 18 kilograms of fentanyl powder and just over 250,000 fentanyl pills. Over 100 investigations have been conducted involving opioids.
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
