Calgary
Notorious drug house shut down by Alberta Sheriffs
From the Province of Alberta
Sheriffs shut down Calgary drug house
The Alberta Sheriffs have shut down a house that has been a source of drug activity and ongoing problems for residents of a Calgary neighbourhood.
The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit has obtained a court order giving investigators the authority to close the house at 2000 Cottonwood Cr. SE for 90 days and impose strict conditions on the property’s use for the next five years.
“Our government is committed to using all means at our disposal to investigate, disrupt and dismantle criminal activity that endangers people in our communities. We value and have the utmost appreciation for the SCAN unit and its tireless work in ensuring Albertans are safe, secure and protected.”
The closure took effect Sept. 17, as crews boarded up the house, changed the locks and erected a fence around the property to bar the owner and any occupants from entering for 90 days.
After the closure ends on Dec. 16, 2019, the order forbids the property owner from having any visitors or tenants for five years without prior approval from SCAN investigators. The order will remain in effect until Dec. 16, 2024.
The legal action is aimed at breaking a cycle of criminal activity at the property that has been ongoing for several years.
The conditions are among the most stringent imposed by the court since the SCAN unit’s inception in 2008. Investigators sought the five-year term, in part, because the property owner violated conditions of a previous community safety order (CSO) from October 2018.
SCAN’s latest investigation began in March 2019, in response to complaints that drug activity had resumed after the property was returned to the owner in January 2019.
SCAN investigators substantiated the complaints about renewed drug activity and gathered evidence in support of a CSO application in Court of Queen’s Bench.
Over the past two years, Calgary police have responded to 39 incidents at the property, including a fatal drug overdose in January 2018 and an assault in August 2019 that involved two men beating a resident of the house with a baseball bat and a ball-peen hammer.
The SCAN unit works with other law enforcement agencies to shut down properties being used for illegal activities. The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act gives sheriffs the authority to target these problem properties through civil enforcement.
Since its establishment in 2008, Alberta’s SCAN unit has investigated more than 5,000 problem properties and issued nearly 80 community safety orders. The majority of complaints are resolved informally, by working with property owners to keep criminal activity out of the community.
Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver issued the following statement in response to Calgary City Council’s vote to extend the right to vote to permanent residents:
“Yesterday, Calgary city council passed a motion advocating for permanent residents to be extended the right to vote in civic elections. Alberta’s government has been clear since the beginning: only Canadian citizens are able to vote in civic elections. That will not be changing.
“The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affirms the right of every Canadian citizen to vote and to run as a candidate. This right extends to voters in municipal, provincial and federal elections.
“Protecting our democracy is of the utmost importance. Our provincial election legislation, like the Local Authorities Elections Act, has also been clear since its inception that voting is a right of Canadian citizens.
“Alberta’s government is also ensuring that voting is accessible for more Albertans. The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act proposes to enable special ballot access for any voter who requests it, without having to provide any specific reason such as physical disability, absence from the municipality or working for the municipal election. The ministries of Seniors, Community and Social Services and Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction are also making it easier for individuals to obtain the identification Albertans need for a variety of services, including the ability to cast a ballot.
“Our government will continue to protect the integrity of our elections and make sure voting is accessible for all Albertans who are Canadian citizens.”
News release from the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT)
ALERT’s Human Trafficking unit has searched and closed three Calgary massage parlours. A year-long investigation has linked the businesses and its owner to suspected human trafficking.
ALERT arrested Hai (Anna) Yan Ye on April 16, 2024 and charged the 48-year-old with advertising sexual services, drug offences and firearms offences. The investigation remains ongoing and further charges are being contemplated.
Ye was linked to three commercial properties and two homes that were allegedly being used for illegal sexual activities and services. The massage parlours were closed following search warrant executions carried out by ALERT, the Calgary Police Service, and the RCMP:
- Seagull Massage at 1034 8 Avenue SW;
- 128 Massage at 1935 37 Street SW; and
- The One Massage Centre at 1919 31 Street SE.
- 1100-block of Hidden Valley Drive; and
- 3100-block of 12 Avenue SW.
As result of the search warrants, ALERT also seized:
- $15,000 in suspected proceeds of crime;
- Shotgun with ammunition; and
- Various amounts of drugs.
“We believe that these were immigrants being exploited into the sex trade. This has been a common trend that takes advantage of their unfamiliarity and vulnerability,” said Staff Sergeant Gord MacDonald, ALERT Human Trafficking.
Four suspected victims were identified and provided resources by ALERT’s Safety Network Coordinators.
ALERT’s investigation dates back to February 2023 when a tip was received about suspicious activity taking place at the since-closed Moonlight Massage. That location was closed during the investigation, in December 2023, when the landlord identified illegal suites on the premises.
The investigation involved the close cooperation with City of Calgary Emergency Management and Community Safety, Alberta’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) team, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and the RCMP.
Ye was released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions.
Anyone with information about this investigation, or any case involving suspected human trafficking offences, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line at 403-266-1234.
ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.
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