Edmonton men charged with selling unstamped tobacco, cannabis in Maskwacis
Three men from the Alberta capital are facing charges after a "significant seizure" including thousands of illicit cigarettes, hundreds of pills, several kilograms of marijuana and thousands of dollars in cash.
RCMP in Maskwacis, Alta., said Thursday that they started investigating a "trafficking network" in June 2021.
On Tuesday, police began executing six search warrants at a home in Ermineskin Cree Nation and a storage locker in Edmonton. They also searched two vehicles.
Police said they seized:
- 50,000 Illicit cigarettes, valued at $44,000
- 7.7 kilograms (17 lbs.) of illegal Cannabis, with a street value of $75,000
- 1,200 unidentified pills
- 1 litre of Cannabis resin
- $38,000 in cash proceeds
Then, on May 25, police searched a home and vehicle in Edmonton, finding:
- 1.6 kilograms of cocaine
- About 740 grams of what is believed to be buffing agent
- Items used to produce crack cocaine
- $16,560 in cash
- roughly 13 pounds of illegal cannabis
- 5,400 cigarettes
Together, the seizures throughout May have a value of $400,000 police said.
In connection to the May 17 seizures, Salih Khoshnaw, 32, and Leslie Dennehy, 35, were charged.
Khoshnaw was charged with:
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Possession of unstamped tobacco products for the purpose of selling
- Fraud over $5,000
Khoshnaw also faces one count of unlawfully selling tobacco products that were not stamped.
Dennehy was charged with:
- Possess cannabis for the purpose of distribution
- Possess cannabis for the purpose of selling
Dennehy also faces a weapons charge.
Shimal Saad, 33, was charged in connection to the May 25 seizure with:
- Posession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking
- Possession of an item to produce a controlled substance
- Possession of unstamped tobacco for the purpose of sale
- Possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000
- Possession of cannabis for the purpose of distribution
- Possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling
- Possession of unstamped tobacco product
- Four counts of fraud
- Possession of cannabis contrary to Section 90.08(1) of the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act
Khoshnaw is scheduled to appear in Edmonton Provincial Court on June 15 at 8:15 a.m.
Dennehy is scheduled to appear on June 10 at 8:15 a.m. in the same court.
Saad was released after a bail hearing and given a court date i Edmonton on June 9 at 8:30 a.m.
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