(Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Project Motor: 18-month investigation

Five charged in $1.6 million drug seizure

Feb 3, 2022 | 4:26 PM

Five people have been charged and more than $1.6 million in fentanyl and meth were seized in a joint investigation named “Project Motor” between Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) and RCMP Federal Serious Organized Crime.

Project Motor is an 18-month investigation that spanned across Canada’s western-most provinces. ALERT alleges the drug trafficking network had its origins in British Columbia’s lower mainland, and fanned out across Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.

The investigation originated in Medicine Hat and came on the heels of a series of large drug busts in southeast Alberta in early 2020.

Officials stated in a release, “ALERT was able to trace back the drug supply, and leverage criminal intelligence, in order to develop a clearer picture of the criminal organization believed to be responsible,”

More than $1.6 million dollars’ worth of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine were seized, along with 11 firearms and $82,000 cash. Five members of the drug network have been charged with offences ranging from drug trafficking to conspiracy to traffic drugs to participating in a criminal organization.

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The seizures took place during the course of the investigation and included homes being searched in Calgary, Edmonton, and Fort St. John, B.C. Investigators seized:

• 11 firearms;
• 4,998 grams of fentanyl;
• 9,970 grams of meth;
• 50 grams of cocaine;
• $82,500 cash;

ALERT says analysis is being completed on the firearms and drugs seized.

“The fentanyl alone represents a theoretical yield of 50,000 doses, as it would be typically sold on the street-level,” police said in a release.

Three Calgary men and a man from Fort. St. John, B.C. have been charged with a total of 37 criminal offences.

A warrant has been issued for an additional suspect, who is presently believed to be somewhere in British Columbia – a 40-year-old man from Calgary.

Officials say Project Motor acquired assistance from a number of police agencies and specialized units, including: Medicine Hat Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, Calgary Police Service, British Columbia Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU), Vancouver Police, and RCMP Fort St. John, and RCMP specialized units in E-Division (British Columbia) and K-Division (Alberta).

Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or can anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).