A five-month investigation by Calgary police into organized crime resulted in the arrest of two men and the seizure of seven guns and 1.5 kilograms of illicit drugs.
In April, the organized crime operations unit of the Calgary Police Service started investigating after receiving information about two men believed to be involved in drug dealing and unlawful possession of firearms.
On Aug. 24, officers took two men into custody without incident and executed search warrants on four homes, three in the Cliff Bungalow/Mission neighbourhoods and one in Cougar Ridge:
- the 2300 block of Fifth Street Southwest,
- the 100 block of 23rd Avenue S.W.,
- the 300 block of 24th Avenue S.W.,
- the 700 block of 77th Street S.W.
Police seized five handguns, one rifle and a shotgun. Four vehicles were seized, including a black Acura ILX, a green Porsche Panamera, a white Range Rover HLE and a white Infiniti FX50. Canadian currency totalling $24,000 was seized by police, along with drug production equipment and paraphernalia, and 664 grams of fentanyl and 928 grams of methamphetamine.
Police charged Leslie Babajid Cole, 32, with 31 firearms-related charges, and one count each of possession of a controlled substance for trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime. Police said Cole was released on bail and is due in court on Sept. 25.
Abel Dawit Teshoma, 32, faces four counts of possession of a controlled substance for trafficking and one count of possession of proceeds of crime. Teshoma was released with consent on bail and is also due to appear in court on Sept. 25.
CPS said its investigators worked with Crown prosecutors to provide evidence that showed an offender’s risk to public safety, but, despite those efforts, Cole was released on bail.
Insp. Jodi Gach of the organized crime and offender management section said anyone known to be unlawfully carrying guns in the community is a “significant risk to public safety” and police target those people through investigations and enforcement efforts.
“However, our efforts are only as good as our ability to keep these offenders in custody,” Gach said in a statement. “In cases like this, where offenders are released on bail shortly after being charged, it takes additional resources from across the service to manage that offender in community.
“As police officers, we do everything in our power to keep the community safe, but it is extremely concerning when individuals are released who have demonstrated a complete disregard for court-ordered conditions and a propensity to unlawfully possess firearms.”
Police are asking anyone with information of any kind – especially around gun violence – to call CPS at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tips can also be given to Crime Stoppers.