CALGARY – Police have seized 16 firearms believed to have been stolen from homes throughout central Alberta during an investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).
The guns were recovered on January 23rd, as officers executed a search warranted at a home in downtown Red Deer.
Investigators also discovered 1,000 rounds of ammunition, 28 gram of methamphetamine and a variety of stolen property.
Five people have been arrested and are facing a total of 230 charges in connection to the seizure, including:
- 26-year-old Joseph Russell Sinclair
- 31-year-old Stephanie Dawn Hughes
- 33-year-old Angie Faye Deneff
- 31-year-old Amanda Dawn Fox
- 30-year-old Joseph Daniel Swain
Swain was arrested during a vehicle stop in north Red Deer.
Police say he had a handgun stashed in the driver’s side door panel and another wedged between the driver’s seat and center console.
In addition, 50 rounds of ammunition were located in the center console.
Police say this seizure highlights the growing trend of guns used for criminal activity being acquired through residential and commercial break and enters in Alberta.
According to Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta (CISA), between 2008 and 2013 there was a 1440 per cent increase in the number of incidents of breaking and entering to steal a firearm in Alberta.
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