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ALERT makes $1M drug bust in Edmonton

Click to play video: '$1M worth of drugs seized from suspected Edmonton drug ring'
$1M worth of drugs seized from suspected Edmonton drug ring
WATCH: Officers raided three homes in south Edmonton on Nov. 27 and found nearly nine kilograms of cocaine, weapons and cash – Dec 12, 2018

More than $1 million worth of cocaine and meth has been seized in Edmonton after three homes were searched at the end of November.

The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams said nearly nine kilograms of cocaine, as well as methamphetamine and cannabis resin were found in the homes in Hogdson, Terwillegar and Mill Woods. The homes were searched on Nov. 27.

Police described the three-month investigation as a probe into wholesale drug suppliers.

It led to police seizing:

  • 8.7 kilograms of cocaine
  • 216 grams of methamphetamine
  • 8.6 kilograms of a cocaine buffing agent
  • 1,000 packages of cannabis resin
  • two handguns
  • ammunition
  • $44,800 cash proceeds of crime

Both the handguns had their serial numbers removed, but police will perform forensic analysis and ballistic testing to determine whether they were used in any crimes, ALERT said.

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ALERT spokesperson Mike Tucker called the seizure “significant,” but he wouldn’t speculate where the drugs originated from.

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“Bear in mind, this is what was seized on that given date and time but we believe they had the propensity to move much larger volumes and that’s supported by the amount of the buffing agent they had as well,” he said.

According to Tucker, it’s hard to say for sure the quantity of drugs that could have allegedly been moved by the group before police searched the homes.

“In some cases, drug trafficking networks will mix [buffing agent] with a one-to-one ratio with cocaine in order to maximize their profits,” Tucker said. “So by the time it’s going to get on the street level and something maybe you would see in a spitball, the actual ratio of cocaine to a carcinogenic substance like phenacetin or super buff, could be around 50-50.”

Three people were arrested on Tuesday and are each facing several charges.

James Jackson, a 44-year-old man from Edmonton, is charged with: conspiracy to traffic cocaine; possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking (x4); production of a controlled substance; possession of a controlled substance; possession of proceeds of crime; and eight firearms-related charges.

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Richard Comely, a 37-year-old man from Leduc, is charged with: conspiracy to traffic cocaine; possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking; and production of a controlled substance.

Scott Doberstein, a 38-year-old man from Leduc, is charged with: conspiracy to traffic cocaine; possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking; and production of a controlled substance.

All three men were released on Wednesday, Tucker said.

ALERT was assisted in the investigation by Alberta Sheriffs, the Edmonton Police Service and the RCMP.

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