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Thousands of fentanyl pills were seized by Calgary police during a series of eight raids last week.
Staff Sgt. Quinn Jacques said police have charged 11 people as a result of the raids
Jacques said although no weapons were seized, police believe the individuals involved are at the “core” of much of the violence in the city during 2015.
“We believe these people have criminal association to the people who are involved in the actual gun violence,” he said. “Drug and gun violence are interrelated and we believe these people are on the drug side of the violence.”
According to Jacques, the guns and gangs unit and the tactical team began executing warrants on Dec. 10. Homes and vehicles across the city with connections to the organized trafficking of drugs were targeting.
More than $260,000 in drugs were seized, along with nearly $10,000 in cash and a large amount of cutting agent and drug paraphernalia.
Jacques said police seized more than 3,500 fentanyl pills, 58 Percocet pills and varying amounts of cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, psilocybin and marijuana.
He said one address considered a stash location held 15 kilograms of cutting agent, as well as instruments to produce drugs.
The following six addresses were searched in connection to this operation, dubbed “Gin and Tonic” by CPS.
100 block of 10 Avenue SW, 1500 block of 37 Street SE, 100 block of 13 Avenue NE, 1700 block of Radisson Drive SE, 1300 block of 27 Street SE and the 300 block of Fonda Way SE.
Two vehicles were also searched.
Jacques said the 11 individuals were criminal associated, but not necessarily working as a team. The following are facing numerous drug-related offences:
Kailee Picco, 22; Joseph Laroche, 35; Rodrigue Najem, 27; James McClean, 21; Ben Johnson, 20; Jonathan Bejo, 23; Cory Hingston, 28; Leanne Barron, 35; Amin El Assaad, 31; Mohamed Mohamed, 21; and Terrell Guenther, 18.
Warrants for a 12th suspect are currently being sought.
Jacques said he hopes this bust has a “significant” impact on the fentanyl trade in Calgary.
“It’ll probably be a short term impact, but hopefully over the next few weeks we’ll see a reduction in supply,” he said.
Agencies/Canadajournal
