Photo: Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams

By Shaun Penner

Cocaine Trafficking Takedown

Eight charged as ALERT takes down Grande Prairie drug network

Sep 24, 2020 | 10:17 AM

The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) says it has dismantled a drug network in Grande Prairie, and seized over a quarter million dollars worth of drugs and cash while charging eight people following what they dubbed as “Project Incumbent”.

The lengthy investigation, which began in early 2019, was undertaken by ALERT Grande Prairie’s organized crime and gang team which targeted a regional cocaine trafficking network. ALERT adds that they received help from the Grande Prairie RCMP, while ALERT and RCMP specialty teams also assisted in the investigation.

ALERT says as part of the investigation, they have executed search warrants at three homes in Grande Prairie, where more than $260,000 worth of drugs and cash were seized. Items seized included:

• 1,143 grams of cocaine
• 2,931 grams of synthetic cannabis
• 1 litre of Gamma-hydroxybutyrate
• $60,010 cash

Inspector Sean Boser of ALERT Regional Teams says it took around one year of investigation before they made their first arrest in early 2020.

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“Objectives are set during an investigation, and we met our objectives based on the evidence that we obtained during the course of that investigation.”

A total of 33 charges have been laid against the eight suspects, three of whom have been brought into custody. Those arrested include:

• 33-year-old Kevin Bey of Langley, B.C.
• 27-year-old Taylor Edgren of Pitt Meadows, B.C.
• 28-year-old Jeffrey Kayser of Peterborough, ON

Five suspects remain at large on warrants related to this investigation. Boser says they are believed to have left the Grande Prairie area:

• 29-year-old Christine Emes of Langley, B.C.
• 39-year-old Joseph Poirier of Lethbridge, AB
• 24-year-old Preston Dougan of Calgary, AB
• 31-year-old Christopher Gilliat of Langley, B.C.
• 30-year-old Matthew Hull of Duncan, B.C.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of these five suspects is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

As for the dismantling of the drug network here in the Grande Prairie area, Boser suggests the investigation has had a strong impact on the local drug trafficking network.

“We’re always looking to, best case scenario, dismantle these crime groups, but at minimum disrupt them,” said Boser.

He adds that not only were they able to dismantle one crime group here in the area, but the investigation, Boser believes, was able disrupt a second group.

“So, yes, I believe it had a significant impact both within Grande Prairie and regionally as well, too.”

Boser says this investigation would not have been possible if not for the strong collaboration between multiple law enforcement teams across the province.

“The collaboration piece is extremely important… and was a big component of helping us achieve the results that we did.”