‘Guns were in the wrong hands’: Brothers held in weapons raid JURIS GRANEY
Twin brothers with lifetime firearm bans are facing almost 40 charges after assault rifles, suppressors and overcapacity magazines were seized in Edmonton by the province’s organized crime and gang team.
A third man, who police allege is a known associate of the brothers, is facing close to two dozen firearms-related charges following the investigation launched last fall by the Alberta Law Enforcement Teams (ALERT).
A tip about the two brothers’ alleged involvement in organized crime activity sparked the police probe, ALERT spokesman Mike Tucker said Wednesday.
Tucker would not comment specifically on the brothers’ associations except to say they were “closely aligned with organized crime groups” in Edmonton and Fort McMurray.
The brothers have “extensive criminal histories,” Tucker said.
Two southwest Edmonton homes and a storage facility on Calgary Trail were targeted as part of the investigation.
“We would be naive to believe that this type of weaponry was used for anything other than criminal purpose and to advance the agenda of organized crime,” he said.
“To put it bluntly, these guns were in the wrong hands.”
Officers seized a Remington .223-calibre rifle, a Norinco Type 97 5.56-calibre rifle with its serial number removed, a Norinco M14 .308-calibre rifle, a Springfield XDM 9mm handgun, a suppressor, two overcapacity magazines and 64 rounds of ammunition from one of the Edmonton homes.
A loaded 9mm handgun, a loaded .22-calibre handgun, another unidentified handgun, a loaded .223-calibre SKS with an overcapacity magazine and a bulletproof vest with ballistic plates were located at the second home.
Two firearms had their serial numbers removed and another was previously reported stolen, Tucker said.
Vancouver Police Department joined several Alberta police agencies when, during the investigation, the brothers travelled to British Columbia. Officers in B.C. were involved in keeping tabs on their activities.
Investigators do not believe the brothers were transporting weapons between the two provinces, Tucker said.
Ballistic testing is still yet to take place to determine if and how the weapons had been modified.
At least one of them was modified to shoot fully automatic, Tucker said.
More forensic work is yet to be done to try to establish the origins of the weapons.
Tucker said ALERT has repeatedly heard from communities about gang and gun violence and “quite frankly they have a right to be concerned” because of the type of firepower seized.
Alexander Kurkut and Ryan Kurkut, both 27, were arrested on May 18.
They have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court on June 13.
Nicolas Moores, who at the time of his arrest in Fort McMurray was found with a loaded handgun tucked into his waistband, is facing 23 charges related to firearms.
Moores was arrested inside a Fort McMurray restaurant on Feb. 21.