139 charges laid in $300M fentanyl 'superlab' bust outside Calgary
The ongoing investigation into the dismantling of a fentanyl "superlab" in southern Alberta in the summer of 2021 has led to a total of 139 charges being laid against residents of Edmonton and Okotoks.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) confirms the accused, who range in age from 19 to 55, include seven Edmontonians and three residents of Okotoks.
The nine men and one woman were arrested and charged this month.
The investigation, dubbed Project Essence, began in February 2021 and culminated with the bust of the facility in a rural area south of Calgary in July 2021.
More than 31 kilograms of fentanyl and its precursors were seized from the facility, as well as from homes and businesses in both Calgary and Edmonton, during the dismantling as well as 7,600 kilograms of chemicals for producing fentanyl.
ALERT officials say the total street value of the bust exceeds $300 million.
The accused are:
- Jesse Deranger, 28-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Juan Galan, 55-year-old man from Okotoks;
- Gregory Hebb, 45-year-old man from Okotoks;
- Dakota Hogg, 27-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Christopher Loyie, 33-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Jonathon Loyie, 35-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Chad Loyie, 33-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Sierra Meuller, 19-year-old woman from Edmonton;
- Ryan Simpson, 41-year-old man from Okotoks; and
- Graham Thomas, 32-year-old man from Edmonton.
ALERT is expected to provide additional details on the investigation during a media availability scheduled to take place Wednesday afternoon in Edmonton.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'