Nearly $2.5 million worth of drugs and cash were seized from a condo in southwest Edmonton, making it one of the largest drug busts in the city this year, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) reported. A warrant has been issued for Edmonton resident Minh Nguyen, 36, on multiple charges related to drug trafficking and possession of counterfeit money.The raid, which took place on October 9 in the upscale Windermere neighborhood, was conducted by ALERT’s organized crime team, with support from the Edmonton Police Service.Investigators seized an estimated $2.3 million worth of drugs, including 17.7 kilograms of cocaine, 5.3 kilograms of MDMA, nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine, 3.1 kilograms of ketamine, and 5 kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms. In addition, they discovered 20,000 oxycodone pills, 4,705 illicit prescription pills, and $41,000 in cash.The investigation, which began in June 2024, focused on Nguyen as an alleged high-level drug supplier operating in the Edmonton area, with alleged connections to other dealers in northern Alberta. This seizure follows another major bust in August, when ALERT seized 27 kilograms of cocaine from a west Edmonton home. Though similar in scale, the two investigations are not connected."This seizure represents a significant blow to organized crime in Edmonton and beyond,” said Insp. Angela Kemp.Anyone with information on Nguyen's whereabouts is urged to contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), which guarantees anonymity. Established and funded by the Alberta government, ALERT combines top law enforcement resources to target serious organized crime across the province.Meanwhile, a traffic stop near Sicamous had led to the arrest of a man with 73 kilos of cocaine in his car.A 28-year-old man from Surrey was arrested and is facing charges.The traffic stop was part of a joint enforcement roadblock between the BC Highway Patrol’s Traffic Safety Unit (Police Dog Service) and the Sicamous RCMP on Highway #1 near Malakwa on October 8, 2024. The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, has been released with conditions and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date. The driver will not be identified until charges are approved. The investigation remains ongoing and the vehicle was seized."The preliminary investigation would suggest that this has all the earmarks of organized crime. This is a very large amount of drugs so certainly expect to see an impact on the illegal drug trafficking operations within the province," said Insp. Lori Orstad, the Officer in Charge of the BC Highway Patrol’s Special Traffic Operations, which includes the Traffic Safety Unit (Police Dog Service), the Integrated Impaired Driving Unit and the Fraser Coast Integrated Road Safety Unit.
Nearly $2.5 million worth of drugs and cash were seized from a condo in southwest Edmonton, making it one of the largest drug busts in the city this year, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) reported. A warrant has been issued for Edmonton resident Minh Nguyen, 36, on multiple charges related to drug trafficking and possession of counterfeit money.The raid, which took place on October 9 in the upscale Windermere neighborhood, was conducted by ALERT’s organized crime team, with support from the Edmonton Police Service.Investigators seized an estimated $2.3 million worth of drugs, including 17.7 kilograms of cocaine, 5.3 kilograms of MDMA, nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine, 3.1 kilograms of ketamine, and 5 kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms. In addition, they discovered 20,000 oxycodone pills, 4,705 illicit prescription pills, and $41,000 in cash.The investigation, which began in June 2024, focused on Nguyen as an alleged high-level drug supplier operating in the Edmonton area, with alleged connections to other dealers in northern Alberta. This seizure follows another major bust in August, when ALERT seized 27 kilograms of cocaine from a west Edmonton home. Though similar in scale, the two investigations are not connected."This seizure represents a significant blow to organized crime in Edmonton and beyond,” said Insp. Angela Kemp.Anyone with information on Nguyen's whereabouts is urged to contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), which guarantees anonymity. Established and funded by the Alberta government, ALERT combines top law enforcement resources to target serious organized crime across the province.Meanwhile, a traffic stop near Sicamous had led to the arrest of a man with 73 kilos of cocaine in his car.A 28-year-old man from Surrey was arrested and is facing charges.The traffic stop was part of a joint enforcement roadblock between the BC Highway Patrol’s Traffic Safety Unit (Police Dog Service) and the Sicamous RCMP on Highway #1 near Malakwa on October 8, 2024. The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, has been released with conditions and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date. The driver will not be identified until charges are approved. The investigation remains ongoing and the vehicle was seized."The preliminary investigation would suggest that this has all the earmarks of organized crime. This is a very large amount of drugs so certainly expect to see an impact on the illegal drug trafficking operations within the province," said Insp. Lori Orstad, the Officer in Charge of the BC Highway Patrol’s Special Traffic Operations, which includes the Traffic Safety Unit (Police Dog Service), the Integrated Impaired Driving Unit and the Fraser Coast Integrated Road Safety Unit.
