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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.