Calgary man with alleged ties to organized crime arrested, 8 guns seized
A Calgary man is facing dozens of charges after police seized an arsenal of guns last month, many of which were allegedly smuggled into Canada.
The two-month-long investigation began at the start of December 2022 after officers identified a person believed to be connected to organized crime and drug trafficking.
On Jan. 31, police took the suspect into custody during a traffic stop and searched his vehicle as well as two homes – one in the 800 block of Fourth Avenue S.W. and the other in the900 block of Rundleside Drive N.E.
As a result of the searches, police seized the following items:
- A stolen and loaded Ruger .22 handgun with a silencer;
- A Glock 31 handgun that had been modified to be fully automatic;
- A loaded Springfield 9mm handgun;
- A loaded Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380 handgun;
- A Sig Sauer P938 9mm handgun;
- A Glock 42 380 Auto handgun;
- A loaded Taurus .38 Special handgun;
- A Glock 43x 9mm handgun;
- Several hundred rounds of various ammunition;
- A Taser;
- A collapsible baton;
- More than 1.8 kilograms of drugs including cocaine, fentanyl, Oxycontin, Xanax and cannabis; and
- Drug production and packaging materials.
Thien Luong, 24, of Calgary, is charged with 36 offences including:
- Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking;
- Possession of a firearm obtained by crime;
- Possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition;
- Unauthorized possession of a firearm;
- Possession of a prohibited device; and
- Possession of the proceeds of crime.
"All the firearms seized in this investigation were unlawfully possessed by the accused," said police in a Tuesday news release.
"Seven of the firearms are believed to have been smuggled into Canada and the remaining firearm was determined to be stolen."
Luong remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 27.
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.'