ALERT and Calgary police have seized more than $400,000 worth of drugs and several firearms from a Coventry Hills home and charged two Calgary brothers with drug trafficking.

Police investigated for two weeks and then issued a search warrant on a vehicle and a residence in the northeast community.

Investigators seized drugs with an estimated street value of $408,000 including:

  • 2.5 kilograms of cocaine;
  • 875 grams of methamphetamine;
  • 27 grams of heroin;
  • 263 fentanyl pills;
  • 49 grams of cannabis resin;
  • 135 grams of phenacetin or “superbuff”;
  • $3,935 cash proceeds of crime.

Timothy Sawatzky, 33, is charged with drug trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking (x 2), and breach of recognizance (x 4).

A warrant has been issued for Nathan Sawatzky, 35, on charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking (x 4), unsafe storage of a firearm (x 2), unauthorized possession of a firearm (x 2), possession of a weapon obtained by crime (x 2), possession of a firearm contrary to order (x 2), and possession of proceeds of crime.

“Significant amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl were seized and these particular drugs as we well know and we’ve seen a lot in the media recently, serve a lot of harm to our communities and the people within them,” said S/Sgt Keith Hurley with ALERT.

In the past year, ALERT has seized more than 16,000 fentanyl pills province wide and police say they expect the trend will continue.

“Definitely low-level street dealers just had access to a significant amount of drugs that they were able to get in a short period of time. This operation from start to finish took us about a week in total. So for the week in total, this is a fairly big haul,” said Hurley. “We’re not sure if they’re part of a larger group. Definitely they had access, they had fairly easy access to the amount of drugs that you see in front of you.”

Four firearms were also confiscated and police say two were previously reported stolen from break and enters. Officers also seized other replica firearms and edged weapons.

“Some of the firearms you see in front of you, although they’re imitation or they might just be an airsoft or BB style gun, they really don’t look that much different than many of the firearms that we, as police officers, carry. There’s an imitation Glock firearm there that to the naked eye and not knowing much about that particular firearm, you might think that that was the same thing a police officer would carry,” said Hurley.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Nathan Sawatzky is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).