Drugs worth $700K, gun, car seized in police raids
Two men are facing charges after the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team conducted searches of two southeast Calgary homes and seized an estimated $700,000 worth of drugs and cash.
On July 26, ALERT’s Calgary organized crime and gang team searched two homes and two vehicles in the southeast neighbourhoods of Copperfield and Douglasdale. Both homes were allegedly used to package and press cocaine for street-level drug sales.
ALERT alleges the two 21-yearold men arrested, Colton Darby and Ricardo Martinez, were involved in cocaine distribution and supplying drug markets in Calgary and surrounding communities. Together, the men are facing 23 drug and firearms-related offences.
“At this point we are still early in the investigation, but we are investigating (gang) connections,” said Staff Sgt. Doug Crippen with ALERT, who added the agency used RCMP and Calgary police intelligence throughout its twomonth investigation.
Seized in the search were 4.5 kilograms of cocaine, 549 grams of heroin, 360 grams of cannabis, a 2013 BMW sedan and $30,085 cash proceeds of crime.
The value of the drugs and cash seized is more than $700,000.
“This was a sizable amount of drugs to remove from circulation — a seizure of this magnitude will have an immediate impact,” Crippen said.
Investigators also seized a Glock handgun, various rounds of ammunition, two prohibited magazines and body armour. Police said the handgun is believed to have been smuggled from the U.S. by unknown suspects.
The magazines seized were able to hold up to 15 rounds, whereas the legal limit in Canada is only 10.