Federal authorities assist in case of missing Calgary child

CALGARY -

Local police, along with the RCMP, have confirmed Canada-wide warrants have been filed for two people connected to the alleged abduction of a seven-year-old Calgary girl.

The Calgary Police Service tells CTV News that warrants have been issued for Louanne Bass-Hassan and Mostafa Hassan, the grandparents of Teaghan Coutts.

Teaghan was allegedly removed from Canada illegally in early July, while she was on a summer trip with her relatives.

Justin Coutts, the girl's biological father, reported the incident to Calgary police and soon learned the trio had boarded a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.

Along with the warrants, RCMP says it has also assigned investigators from the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR) to assist the Calgary Police Service.

"The file remains a Calgary Police Services investigation," an RCMP spokesperson wrote in an email to CTV News Friday.

"The NCMPUR is communicating directly with RCMP members stationed at the Turkish Embassy. The Canada-wide warrants that have been granted and that are in effect remains part of the CPS investigation. Passport Canada and Global Affairs are also involved and have been updated."

Coutts, who told CTV News last month he had worked out an arrangement with the grandparents to regularly visit with Teaghan, says her mother died when she was seven months old.

He also said that his relationship with Louanne Bass-Hassan and Mostafa Hassan suffered from difficulties and soon resulted in the court's involvement.

With regard to the investigation into Teaghan's disappearance, Coutts said he was advised to pursue his own legal representation overseas.

A GoFundMe campaign, created to help Coutts with the costs associated with securing such services, has raised more than $21,000.