Two Edmontonians and a Calgarian are facing 50 drug charges following one of the largest drug busts in the City of Red Deer’s history.

Red Deer RCMP, with assistance of Red Deer ALERT, Airdrie RCMP, Calgary Police Service and Calgary Federal Serious and Organized Crime units, executed a series of search warrants on August 8, 2018.

The warrants targeted one vehicle and four homes in Red Deer, Calgary, Airdrie and Rocky View County.

In the bust, authorities seized:

  • 1.67 kilograms of cocaine
  • 1.26 kilograms of fentanyl
  • 1.44 kilograms of ketamine
  • 2.61 kilograms of methamphetamine
  • 3.5 kilograms of cannabis
  • 261 grams of psilocybin (magic mushrooms)
  • 22 grams of heroin
  • Six litres of hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)
  • Over 200 tablets of various drugs (fentanyl, oxycodone and diazepam)
  • Nine firearms with ammunition
  • Over $61,000 in Canadian currency

Red Deer RCMP say the bust is quite significant and thanks the help of other agencies in making the arrests.

"It was the direct result of a coordinated effort across several partner agencies, and great team work and determination among our members. It also serves as an important reminder to traffickers that there are consequences to trafficking drugs in this province; our members are skilled investigators trained in detection of drug trafficking and you will be caught,” said Inspector Dean LaGrange of the Red Deer RCMP in a release.

Steven Tuan Minh, 42, of Calgary is facing 40 charges:

  • 20 counts of possession of controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking
  • 10 counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm
  • 10 counts of possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition

Minh was released on a condition to appear in Calgary Provincial Court on April 3, 2019.

Beau Charles Burles, 32, of Edmonton is charged with four counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Hayley Van Dellen, 32, of Edmonton is charged with:

  • Four counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking
  • Unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon
  • Two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm

Both Burles and Van Dellen were both released from custody on a promise to appear in Red Deer Provincial Court on March 7.