With the assistance of Medicine Hat police, ALERT Calgary conducted a bust that resulted in the seizure of $300,000 worth of drugs and cash, as well as an illegal firearm.--ALERT HANDOUT
jappel@medicinehatnews.com@MHNJeremyAppel
The Medicine Hat Police Service assisted its Calgary counterparts and ALERT in a $300,000 drug bust a couple weeks ago that resulted in 38 charges laid.
Three alleged drug dealers were arrested and a home in the Riverbend neighbourhood was searched Nov. 13, after an ALERT Calgary investigation wrapped up.
Cops seized 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.2 kg of cocaine, 255 grams of fentanyl, 28 kg of a cocaine buffing agent and $42,887 in cash, as well as a loaded, sawed-off shotgun with its serial number defaced.
ALERT Medicine Hat Staff Sgt. Kelsey Fraser told the News that Medicine Hat police frequently assist in ALERT operations.
“We had information we shared with them and we supplement some of their work with resources that we have locally up in Calgary,” he said, calling it a “joint forces effort in targeting this drug group.”
In this instance, there was no direct connection to Medicine Hat, although Calgary is a hub for the regional drug trade, so some of those drugs would likely have wound up in the Hat, he said.
“ALERT will continue to work in tandem with our policing partners to tackle organized crime, and their complacency in harming our communities with opioids and meth,” Sgt. Matthew Pumphrey of ALERT Calgary said in a news release.
ALERT says it will submit the firearm for forensic testing to determine if it’s been used in the commission of any other crime.
Leslie Ma, 27, Vincent Ma, 36, and Anny Vo, 26, face a total of 38 charges of firearm and drug offences.
