Category Archive

In April 2018 the Saskatoon Police Service (“SPS”) commenced an investigation into the alleged drug trafficking activities of a local target we’ll call NNN. The police conducted surveillance on NNN throughout April and May 2018 during which they observed meetings of short duration consistent with (in the opinion of the police) drug trafficking. Towards the end of May 2018 the police, while conducting surveillance on NNN, watched him return to his home in downtown Saskatoon. NNN then left his home …

In June 2018 at approximately 9:00 a.m. a uniformed member of the Calgary Police Service (“CPS”) initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle a vehicle being driven by LPJ. When the police conducted a CPIC check on LPJ, they noted that he had existing bail conditions which prohibited him from possessing a cellular phone. When the police returned to LPJ’s vehicle they observed a cellular phone on the front console. When the police asked LPJ to step out of the …

HHW was the primary target of a drug investigation conducted by members of the Calgary Police Service (“CPS”). The investigation, which lasted several months, involved the use of so-called confidential informants, extensive surveillance and the covert installation of a hallway video recorder. The police investigation culminated in the execution of a warrant to search the premises which had been monitored by the hallway camera (hereinafter referred to as the “target premises”). A search of the target premises revealed the presence …

Over the course of 7 months AZS was “alleged” to have been involved in no less than 8 separate hand-to-hand cocaine transactions involving the same Calgary Police Service (“CPS”) undercover officer. To complicate matters, a video was obtained in relation to several of the undercover transactions and on take-down day (the date of AZS’s arrest) he was found in possession of a quantity of cocaine that was obviously packaged for sale. As a consequence of the foregoing, AZS was charged …

Police received information from a reliable source that SDK was actively involved in the trafficking of cocaine and heroin. Consequently, the police engaged in an 8 month investigation involving physical and electronic surveillance of SDK and his associates. At the conclusion of that investigation the police executed multiple warrants to search which resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of powder cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, (PCP – “angel dust”) as well as trafficking paraphernalia such as scales, packaging material …

In November 2017 members of the Calgary Police Service (“CPS”) Gang Enforcement Team (“GET”) initiated a drug trafficking investigation entitled “Gas Lamp”. This was initially a surveillance and intelligence gathering based investigation that targeted KDK and a number of other persons as individuals allegedly running a dial-a-dope operation in the City of Calgary. At the conclusion of the investigation, based on evidence and observations made by GET, a number of warrants to search were obtained and executed in June 2018. …

A joint forces operation involving the RCMP and Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) commenced an investigation in the Fall of 2016 into the drug trafficking activities of a dial-a-dope operation centred in Gleichen and Strathmore, Alberta. According to the police, between December 14, 2016 and March 8, 2017 an undercover officer of the MHPS purchased various quantities of cocaine from WSW on no less than six occasions. WSW was ultimately arrested and charged with the following offences: Count 1: Trafficking …

This is an all too typical “Pipeline” case involving a uniformed member of the RCMP conducting a drug investigation under the guise of a traffic investigation. In the circumstances of this particular case (as with most Pipeline cases) the police observed a vehicle and/or occupant who matched some investigative profile consistent with the potential transportation of contraband. As to precisely what that “profile” might be in any given circumstance, it is exceedingly hard to tell. Why? The police steadfastly deny …

The police received a report of a vehicle losing control and sliding off the road into a snowbank. When the police arrived at the scene they observed PJL endeavouring to drive his vehicle out of the ditch. The police shouted at PJL to turn the car off but PJL refused and continued to spin the wheels of the vehicle. Finally, the police threatened to taser PJL if he did not comply, whereupon PJL exited the vehicle. PJL was taken abruptly …

Members of the Edmonton Police Service (“EPS”) were involved in a lengthy sophisticated investigation which targeted high-level cocaine traffickers in the City of Edmonton. This investigation involved multiple days of mobile and static surveillance of the so-called targets. During the course of mobile surveillance the police observed a person believed to be DBB meet with a confirmed target where an item was exchanged. Consequently, the focus of that mobile surveillance transitioned to DBB and he was followed away from the …

REE was the target of a Calgary Police Service (“CPS”) Drug Unit operation targeting so-called Dial-A-Dope drug trafficking within the City of Calgary. The CPS initiative involved the use of various undercover officers and the purchase of various controlled substances including the drug cocaine. Between February 2018 and the end of April 2018 REE is alleged to have sold cocaine to the same CPS undercover officer on no less than 6 separate occasions. The undercover officer in question was very …

This is another RCMP Pipeline case. On June 1, 2018 at approximately 10:00 p.m. a uniformed member of the RCMP stopped MAP as he was driving eastbound on Highway 1 near Banff, Alberta. According to the officer, MAP was operating his vehicle in a manner that impeded the flow of traffic. When the officer pulled MAP over to the side of the road and approached the vehicle, he detected the faint scent of raw cannabis Marihuana. The officer then engaged …

The Calgary Police Service (“CPS”) Gang Unit conducted a drug investigation that extended over several months and involved multiple targets. The investigation was to culminate in the arrest of all of these targets and simultaneous execution of warrants to search on their homes, vehicles and so-called stash locations. As of this “take-down” date, GMS had not been targeted for arrest. What happened is, that as the police were gathered around a condominium complex ready to enter a target premise GMS …

V.D.W.N. was the driver and sole occupant of his truck in downtown Sylvan Lake, Alberta. An astute uniformed member of the RCMP drove past V.D.W.N. and noticed that the truck had an inoperative headlamp and that V.D.W.N. wasn’t wearing a seat belt. The Mountie pulled a U-turn, pursued and stopped V.D.W.N. According to the Mountie, as he approached the rear of V.D.W.N.’s truck he could smell a strong odour of fresh marihuana. As the Mountie approached the open driver’s window …

L.R.K.’s only “crime” was to have a significant other who was the target of a sophisticated drug investigation that extended over several months. Not once during the course of the police investigation was L.R.K. ever found to be engaged in remotely suspicious let alone unlawful activity. Information gleaned by way of a multitude of confidential informants and protracted police surveillance led inexorably to only one conclusion – L.R.K. was NOT involved in illegal activity. On the da y of the …

E.M.M. is a young professional from abroad with tentative legal status in Canada. Following an evening of alcohol fueled festivity, E.M.M. endeavored to walk home in moving traffic with several equally inebriated friends – they didn’t fare well. The police approached E.M.M. and ultimately arrested him for causing a disturbance and escorted him to the RCMP detachment. During the course of processing at the lock-up, the police seized a quantity of cocaine from E.M.M.. As a consequence of the seizure, …

The police were in the midst of an ongoing drug investigation when R.U.N. surfaced during surveillance as a potential target. One investigative thing ultimately led to another resulting in the execution of a Warrant to Search on R.U.N.’s residence and a corresponding search of his BMW. As a consequence of a search of R.U.N.’s bedroom the police seized a relatively large amount of cocaine and an assault rifle. A search of the BMW revealed the presence of multiple individually wrapped …

This is another RCMP “Pipeline” case. At approximately 2:00 a.m. B.A.G. was driving his vehicle back to Calgary from B.C. on Highway #1. B.A.G. was pulled over by an RCMP highway patrolman just east of the entranceway to Banff National Park. The reason given by the Mountie for the stop was . . . “speeding”. Well one thing led to another at roadside and ultimately the Mountie decided to arrest B.A.G. for possession of a controlled substance. The Mountie’s decision …

The Calgary Police Service (“CPS”) Drug Unit received information from a reliable confidential source that G.J.M. and a multitude of others were actively involved in a “Dial-a-Dope” cocaine trafficking enterprise. Fixed with this information, the police deployed an undercover team to arrange a meeting with G.J.M. to facilitate a cocaine transaction. The efforts of the police in this regard were successful and an undercover officer purchased street level quantities of cocaine from G.J.M. on at least 3 separate occasions over …

In the Spring of 2016 the CPS Gang Enforcement Team (“GET”) targeted N.S.N. as a potential drug trafficker. After conducting protracted surveillance of N.S.N. the police came to associate him and his alleged drug trafficking activity with a condominium in Airdrie. As part of the investigation the police installed a covert camera in the hallway just outside N.S.N.’s condominium – the police did not obtain judicial authorization to install the covert hallway camera. The state of the law across this …