Project Carlos: $4.5M worth of drugs, nearly $1M in cash seized in searches of 15 Calgary homes

Officers with Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) say they seized $4.5 million worth of narcotics and nearly $1 million in cash in a Calgary drug bust.

ALERT says the drugs and cash were found during searches of 15 homes across the city in an investigation that officers dubbed “Project Carlos.”

Investigators with ALERT’s organized crime team, along with Calgary police officers and members of the RCMP searched the homes between Aug. 24 and Sept. 2.

Police say several suspects were identified but no charges have been laid yet.

Officers say they seized:

• 41 kilograms of cocaine
• 20.7 kilograms of a cocaine buffing agent
• 45.7 kilograms of unknown powders
• 1.1 kilograms of ketamine
• 1.0 kilograms of methamphetamine
• 3.4 litres of GHB (commonly referred to as a date-rape drug)
• 876 grams of fentanyl
• 3,489 suspected fentanyl pills
• 289 grams of psilocybin mushrooms
• 4.2 kilograms of cannabis
• $950,000 cash

A stolen handgun with ammunition as well as several encrypted cellphones were also found. Police say the gun will be turned in for forensic and ballistic testing, while the phones are being looked at by forensic technicians to “extract evidence.”

Anyone who suspects drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or leave an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).