Forces team up for southern Alberta drug bust

ALERT - ALERT, RCMP and the Blood Tribe Police Service joined forces this week to arrest three people in Fort Macleod who were allegedly selling drugs to users throughout southern Alberta.

ALERT’s Lethbridge organized crime and gang team initiated the short-term investigation earlier this month when information was received about drug trafficking in the area, specifically on the Blood and Piikani reserves west of Lethbridge.

Loaded handgun seized From Lethbridge drug house

ALERT - Three people were arrested and a loaded handgun was seized from a Lethbridge home that has caused neighbourhood concerns about drug activity.

ALERT’s Lethbridge organized crime and gang team searched the home on February 26, 2018, with help from the Lethbridge Police Service. Located in the 400-block of 20 Street North, the home is less than a block away from an elementary school, and first came to police attention in December 2017 for suspected drug dealing.

Arrested gang members suspected of trafficking in Lethbridge, Blood First Nation

ALERT - An alleged member of the Mad Cowz gang has been arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking in Lethbridge and the Blood First Nation Reserve.  ALERT Lethbridge’s organized crime and gang team arrested Corey Amyotte on February 28, 2018, along with four other suspects. The 33-year-old man from Manitoba is an alleged member of the Mad Cowz gang and information provided by Blood Tribe Police suggested he was involved in drug trafficking in the region.

Suspected carfentanil seized in southern Alberta bust

ALERT - ALERT is urging caution after a significant amount of what is believed to be a powerful opioid was seized in a bust in southern Alberta. One person was arrested.

On February 7, 2018, ALERT’s Lethbridge organized crime and gang team arrested Samantha Hattersley, 27, of Lethbridge outside a business in Claresholm. During the arrest, investigators seized a total of 114.5 grams of powder that they suspect could contain carfentanil, a drug that is 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

ALERT investigating series of potential child sex offences by Jonathan Karl Bruenig

Jonathan Karl Bruenig

ALERT - Child sexual exploitation charges have been laid against a Grande Prairie man, and ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit believes there may be additional victims in northern Alberta, Northwest Territories, northern British Columbia, and Australia.

Blood Tribe man arrested for child pornography offences

ALERT - Following a joint investigation between ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation unit, Blood Tribe Police and Lethbridge Police, a 24-year-old man has been arrested for a number of child pornography offences.  Cody Wright was arrested on November 8, 2017 at a home on the Blood Tribe First Nation Reserve with the assistance of the Blood Tribe Police’s Crime Reduction unit. ICE also searched a Lethbridge home with the assistance of Lethbridge Police. A number of electronic devices were seized for full forensic analysis.

$150K of crack cocaine seized in Lethbridge

ALERT - A three-month investigation by ALERT teams in Lethbridge has resulted in the arrest of two Edmonton men and the seizure of more than $150,000 worth of crack cocaine.  The investigation began in July 2017 thanks to a tip from the public. On Wednesday, Sept. 27, ALERT Lethbridge’s organized crime team, with the assistance of the Lethbridge Police Service, arrested a 19-year-old man and searched a home in the 300-block of 13 Street South and a vehicle. In total, investigators were able to seize more than 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine, with the drugs already packaged for street-level sale. ALERT also seized cellphones, a small amount of marijuana, and more than $8,000 cash proceeds of crime.

Young offender in Lethbridge charged with drug trafficking

ALERT - ALERT investigators in Lethbridge arrested a young offender recently and charged him with a number of drug-related offences as part of an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in the city.  The 17-year-old male, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was arrested by ALERT teams on Wednesday, September 6, 2017, with the help of the Lethbridge Police Service. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of approximately $3,900 worth of drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, cannabis resin and marijuana. He was also in possession of weapons including a baton and brass knuckles, cash, two cellphones and other drug paraphernalia.

ICE arrests former youth camp director in Medicine Hat

ALERT - A former youth summer camp director has been arrested in Medicine Hat on child pornography charges by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit.  On Thursday, September 7, 2017, ICE investigators, with the help of the Medicine Hat Police Service, arrested 25-year-old Nolan Davidson and charged him with one count each of possession of child pornography and accessing child pornography. Police executed a search warrant on his residence in the Crestwood neighbourhood and seized a number of electronic devices.  Davidson identifies himself on social media as a former camp director at Eagles Nest Ranch, a youth summer camp located in Cypress Hills Provincial Park, approximately 70 kilometres southeast of Medicine Hat. Currently, investigators have no evidence to suggest any offences were committed against any children who attended the camp.

Made-in-Alberta machine guns seized

ALERT - Following an eight-month investigation, ALERT has seized four prohibited firearms – including two homemade MAC-11 submachine guns – that were allegedly manufactured at a machinist shop just west of Edmonton.  ALERT Edmonton’s Guns and Gangs unit concluded its investigation on August 17, 2017, with the arrest of two suspects. Edmonton Police Service and RCMP investigators helped search two Edmonton homes and a rural property in Parkland County, where it is believed the guns were being manufactured.  ALERT is still investigating how many MAC-11s were manufactured, but it is believed some of these weapons have found their way to the criminal market.

ICE arrests man on Blood Tribe First nation, suspected of Child Luring and Extortion

ALERT -  A joint investigation between ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation unit, Blood Tribe Police, and Lethbridge Police has resulted in the arrest of a 20-year old man for numerous criminal offences.  Skylar Pantherbone was arrested on August 17, 2017 following allegations he lured and sextorted an underage victim. He was arrested at a Blood Tribe First Nations home where a number of drugs and weapons were also seized.  Pantherbone is accused of hacking into a Lethbridge teen’s social media account and accessing private photos to sextort her. The victim disclosed these offences to a Lethbridge Police School Resource Officer in March 2017, which prompted ICE’s involvement in the investigation.

Operation Icebreaker leads to 16 child pornography related arrests in southern Alberta

ALERT - A three-month investigation by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation team has led to the arrest of 16 Alberta men for child pornography related offences. The investigation, dubbed Operation Icebreaker, began in April 2017 and targeted suspects accessing child pornography in southern Alberta. In addition to the arrests, the investigation led to the identification of two underage luring victims.

Firearms, drugs seized as man wanted on Canada-wide warrant arrested in Lethbridge

ALERT - An investigation by ALERT Lethbridge’s organized crime and gang unit has resulted in the arrest of four people – including one who was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant – and the seizure of firearms and drugs.

The arrests were made on June 28 and 29, 2017, with the assistance of the Lethbridge Police Service and RCMP Coaldale. Three people were arrested by way of a traffic stop in Lethbridge. Inside the vehicle, investigators found an assortment of drugs and cash proceeds of crime.

Cardston gun store implicated in firearms trafficking

ALERT - A Cardston, Alberta gun store has been searched by ALERT following an investigation into firearms trafficking. The entire store’s firearms inventory of 1,000 guns and one million rounds of ammunition was seized.   ALERT Lethbridge’s organized crime and gang team and the RCMP National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST) conducted a five-month investigation into K&D Implements, which resulted in a search warrant being executed on May 29, 2017. K&D Implements was searched with the assistance of Cardston RCMP and Lethbridge Police Service, and two of the store’s owners were arrested.

Fenatanyl bust in Lethbridge

ALERT - The execution of a search warrant at a west Lethbridge apartment has resulted in the seizure of 400 fentanyl pills and two people being arrested on drug-related charges.  On May 17, 2017, ALERT Lethbridge’s organized crime and gang team arrested two men in a vehicle after receiving information about suspected fentanyl trafficking. They then obtained warrants to search the westside apartment where one of the men lived.  When the warrants were executed, 400 fentanyl pills were seized. The vehicle in which the two men were arrested earlier in the day was also searched, and police seized cellphones, a small amount of cash and an additional fentanyl pill.

Child Endangerment charges laid in Lethbridge drug bust

ALERT - Five Lethbridge residents have been charged under Alberta’s Drug Endangered Children’s Act after ALERT seized nearly $100,000 worth of drugs and cash from two homes.  On May 5, 2017, with the help of Lethbridge Police Service members, ALERT’s organized crime and drug unit in Lethbridge executed four search warrants on vehicles and homes in West Lethbridge to conclude an investigation that began in late 2016.

Police blotter to April 18, 2017

• Redwater RCMP investigate fatal collision
• Didsbury RCMP investigate armed robbery
• Semi vs train collision south of Lethbridge
• Strathmore armed robbery suspect charged
• Fatal MVC near Sexsmith
• Beaumont theft suspect sought by police
• Red Deer RCMP execute Highland Green search warrant
• Red Deer RCMP warns public of bank manager fraud
• Wood Buffalo assault victim dies
• Grande Prairie RCMP respond to Mischief complaints
• Stolen Red Deer kitten returned
• Bluffton Community Hall target of repeat vandalism
• Alberta and Saskatchewan disrupt fentanyl supply together

Drugs and firearms seized in two separate southwestern Alberta investigations

ALERT - More than $55,000 worth of drugs and 11 firearms have been seized following two separate ALERT investigations last week. Homes were searched in Lethbridge, Coaldale, and Fort MacLeod.  ALERT Lethbridge’s organized crime and gang teams worked with officers from Lethbridge Police Service, Coaldale RCMP and Fort MacLeod RCMP on the investigations. The two investigations were unrelated but both focused on addressing community concerns related to drug dealing.

Lethbridge teacher arrested for child exploitation offences

ALERT - A Lethbridge teacher at École La Vérendrye has been charged with child sexual exploitation offences following an investigation by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation team. The Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) team arrested Dwayne Schnell on February 22, 2017 with the assistance of Lethbridge Police Service. The 37-year-old man teaches grades 7-12 at the Lethbridge French language school École La Vérendrye.

Four arrested in Lethbridge drug bust

ALERT - Four people were arrested in a Lethbridge drug bust with ALERT seizing an estimated $55,000 worth of drugs and a vehicle.  ALERT Lethbridge’s organized crime and gang team concluded a short-term investigation on February 20, 2017 with the assistance of Lethbridge Police Service and RCMP. A Nissan Rogue loaded with drugs was intercepted en route to Lethbridge, and a local home was searched.