Grande Prairie Man Arrested for Firearms Trafficking

Grande Prairie… ALERT has seized four firearms during the arrest of a Grande Prairie man, who was allegedly involved in trafficking restricted handguns.

ALERT Grande Prairie’s organized crime and gang team arrested Allan Salud on May 14, 2020. The 50-year-old man was allegedly selling restricted handguns to the criminal market, and involved in a process known as straw purchasing.

Straw purchasing typically involves someone with a valid Possession and Acquisition License (PAL) but no criminal record obtaining firearms for someone who otherwise could not, or who does not want their name associated with the transaction.

“Someone engaged in straw purchasing is recklessly putting the public at risk. These are firearms being diverted to the criminal market, and who knows what kind of crimes they could potentially be used to commit,” said Insp. Sean Boser, ALERT Regional Teams.

Salud had purchased 11 handguns dating back to March 2020. One of the handguns purchased by the accused was later seized during a Grande Prairie RCMP drug investigation on March 27, 2020.

ALERT seized four firearms originally acquired by Salud, including three handguns and a shotgun, after homes in Grande Prairie and Beaverlodge, Alta., were searched. Grande Prairie RCMP and RCMP Western Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) helped with the execution of the search warrants.

Meanwhile, seven restricted handguns remain unaccounted for.

Salud faces a total of 31 firearms-related offences, including:

• firearms trafficking;
• possession of a firearm for the purpose of trafficking;
• failure to report a lost or stolen firearm;
• unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle;
• possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition;
• unsafe storage of a firearm; and
• possession of a firearm at an unauthorized place.

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 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.