Police have seized a stash of drugs, cash and weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle, after a six month investigation into a trafficking operation that was trying to establish a foothold in the Calgary drug market.

ALERT teams focused on three people who recently moved from the Vancouver area to Calgary and executed four search warrants on Monday.

Police say the search uncovered a cache of drugs worth almost $1M, a full-scale cocaine conversion lab, and two very dangerous weapons.

“A significant aspect of this investigation is the removal of two very dangerous weapons from the streets of Calgary. An AK-47 fully-automatic assault rifle and a 45 calibre handgun were recovered from Calgary residences. These firearms have no place in our community and in the wrong hands are capable of unspeakable violence,” said Insp. Gerry Francois from ALERT.

Huy Nguyen, 26, Duy Dao, 24, and Jonathon Chieh, 23, are facing a combined 64 drug and weapons related charges and police say additional charges could be laid.

The seized drugs include:

  • 4.6 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $460,000
  • 115 kilograms of Phenacetin with an estimated street value of $230,000
  • 6.5 kilograms of marihuana with an estimated street value of $64,940
  • 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $162,000
  • 387 grams of MDMA with an estimated street value of $38,000
  • 187 oxycodone pills with an estimated street value of $15,000

Police say the seizure of Phenacetin, is the largest in ALERT’s history at 115 kilograms.The drug, also known as “Superbuff”, is used as a cutting agent to dilute the purity of cocaine to maximize profits.

“This is used as a cutting agent, as a filler, if you will, and is mixed with cocaine to really increase the amount of cocaine that can be distributed.  And it’s usually on a one-to-one basis. So if you assume that 115 kilograms is being mixed then it potentially puts out 230 kilograms of cocaine on the street, so we believe that was their intention to do this,” said Francois.

Police also recovered:

  • AK-47 fully automatic assault rifle with ammunition
  • Loaded handgun with additional ammunition
  • Spring-loaded pen gun
  • $225,355 cash
  • Hydraulic kilogram brick press with plates
  • Money counters, drug scales, scoresheets
  • 2007 GMC Acadia with a hidden compartment

Police say the seizures were made at homes in the Brentwood, Hawkwood, Temple and Eau Claire areas of the city.

"The AK-47  was in the Brentwood residence. The 45 calibre was in the Hawkwood residence," said Francois.

They believe the drugs were earmarked for sale in Calgary and southern Alberta.

"They were in the process of setting up their network here in Calgary," said Insp. Francois. "One of the residences, they were using this press and they were mixing it and then repressing it for distribution."

Police say they don't come across weapons like this very often and that getting them off the streets is significant.