A suspect in an organized crime ring was arrested last week and a Canada-wide warrant has been issued for another, according to an update from Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) to a November 2021 drug bust.
Five people were arrested and released at the time. The Crown has now approved charging them with multiple drug and firearm offences and for participating in a “criminal organization,” — a charge that is laid when three or more people engage in criminal activity for financial benefit.
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The accused are:
- Zachary Edwards-Swanson, 22-year-old from Grande Prairie;
- Keegan Johnson-Thomas, 31-year-old from Edmonton;
- Jason Suriyavong, 30-year-old from Surrey;
- Michael Suksawat, 27-year-old from Surrey; and
- David Nguyen, 31-year-old from Edmonton.
There is a Canada-wide warrant out for Ngyuen’s arrest and he is believed to have left Canada.
Suriyavong is also charged with recruitment of members by a criminal organization, which ALERT said is rarely laid in Canada. Police allege he recruited people from B.C.’s lower mainland to traffic drugs in Alberta.
The search took place in three homes in Edmonton and at targeted vehicle stops in Red Deer and Whitecourt. Officers found three guns, more than 600 rounds of ammo, 8.5 kilograms of meth, more than a kilogram of fentanyl, other drugs and $16,255 in cash.
ALERT encourages anyone with information on this investigation to call local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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