Calgary police have laid multiple charges after “one of the largest drug seizures” in the city’s history.
The Calgary Police Service (CPS) announced during a media availability on Oct. 15 that four men have been charged after officers searched multiple residences and seized more than $2 million in cash and $6.8 million in drugs in an investigation that started in June.
After police became aware of an initial residence, Supt. Jeff Bell, with the CPS’s criminal operations and intelligence division, said they launched a four-month investigation into a drug distribution network spanning Calgary, Edmonton, and bedroom communities.
With help from 16 internal support units, Edmonton Police Service, RCMP, and Canada Border Services Agency, officers wrote 18 judicial authorizations and executed nine search warrants at multiple properties in the city’s northeast and in Cochrane, Alta.
The five residences searched on Oct. 8 resulted in the seizure of millions of dollars worth of currency, as well as several illicit substances, including, but not limited to, cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and ketamine, and prescription pills, like Xanax, codeine, and oxycodone.
“This was outstanding police work,” said Supt. Bell.
“Our investigators spent months following the evidence, connecting the dots, and building the case that led to one of the largest drug seizures in the service’s history.”
Of the four suspects linked to the searched homes, Calgary residents Tomas Bahta, 19, Fozee Ibrahim, 29, and Mohammed Ibrahim, 31, face charges and are expected to appear in court at the end of the month. Aidan Saunders, 29, of Cochrane, will also appear in court in November.
Substantial investigations strain police operations, says CPS
Bell said that the impact of taking these drugs off the street is immense, especially in that doing so limits the “drug economy” available, while giving police an opportunity to suppress similar behaviour and protect more civilians.
“Specifically with drugs such as fentanyl,” he said.
“A pinhead can literally kill somebody…we saved a lot of lives — we just can’t measure that quantity because we don’t know how many people we’re touching.”
CPS believes that the drugs were imported from outside the country, naming Colombia as one possible but unconfirmed place of origin. Bell said the investigation’s findings have helped hinder future dealings.
“The size of the seizure is significant,” he said.
“The real impact is on public safety and our community. We are disrupting criminal networks, preventing harm, and helping keep our communities safe.”
Acting chief Asif Rashid with the CPS said investigations like these have become increasingly common in Calgary and are one of the many “pressures facing policing.” He said that although the investigation was successful, those of this size inherently strain service.
“Investigations of this scale are complex, and as you can see and imagine, they’re resource-intensive,” said Rashid.
“At the same time, we need officers responding to calls for service, investigating other crimes, and delivering on the everyday services that Calgarians rely on.”
