A cocaine ring operating out of Edmonton, Sherwood Park and Fort McMurray has been dismantled following a 16-month investigation, say police.
The investigation, launched in March 2017, netted more than $1 million worth of cocaine and cash and resulted in 49 criminal charges being laid against seven men, said a news release issued Friday by Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).
The investigation began when police received a tip that cocaine was being sold out of a since-closed barbershop in Sherwood Park called Barbero Barbershop, the release said.
Police managed to infiltrate the group which led to the busts.
Last week, ALERT searched three homes in north Edmonton and two in Fort McMurray, seizing eight kilograms of cocaine, along with $215,000 cash.
One of the Edmonton homes, located in the Eaux Claires neighbourhood, is believed to have been used to package and press cocaine for street-level sales.
Two Edmonton men, aged 27 and 33, are believed to have directed the drug network and face several charges including conspiracy to traffic cocaine and committing an indictable offence for the benefit of a criminal organization, ALERT said.
Five other people, two from Fort McMurray and two from Edmonton, who filled various roles within the criminal network, were also arrested, ALERT said.
ALERT was established by the Alberta government and is committed to tackling serious and organized crime.