The Calgary Police Service has laid charges against a man after officers seized eight illegal firearms following a two-month investigation.
Police said they began their investigation in December last year and observed behaviour that was allegedly “consistent” with drug trafficking. They identified two residences that were connected to the suspect, a Tuesday afternoon release read.
On Jan. 31, police arrested the suspect after they stopped him at a traffic stop. Officers then executed search warrants on the suspect’s vehicle and two residences: one located in the 800 block of 4 Avenue S.W. and another on the 900 block of Rundleside Drive N.E.
Police said they seized the following items:
- A stolen and loaded Ruger .22 handgun with a silencer
- A Glock 31 handgun modified to be fully automatic
- A loaded Springfield 9mm handgun
- A loaded Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380 handgun
- A Sig Sauer P938 9mm handgun
- A Glock 42 380 Auto handgun
- A loaded Taurus .38 Special handgun
- A Glock 43x 9mm handgun
- Several hundred rounds of various ammunition
- A taser
- A collapsible baton
- More than 1.8 kilograms of drugs including cocaine, Fentanyl, Oxycontin, Xanax and cannabis
- Drug production and packaging materials
Police said seven of the firearms belong to the suspect and are believed to have been smuggled into Canada. The remaining firearm was believed to be stolen, the CPS said.
Thien Luong, 24, was charged with 36 offences including:
- possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking
- possession for use in the production of a controlled substance
- possession of a firearm obtained by crime
- possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition
- unauthorized possession of a firearm
- careless storage of a firearm
- possession of a prohibited device
- possession of the proceeds of crime
Luong is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 27.
“Organized crime, drug trafficking and the associated violence has no place in our community, and we will continue to target those who are involved,” A/Staff Sgt. Mike Sushelnitsky said in a statement.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers.