Police seize weapons, illegal tobacco from central Edmonton convenience store

Edmonton Police Services seized weapons and illegal tobacco from central Edmonton convenience store. (Courtesy: Edmonton Police Service)

Three people have been charged after police seized illegal weapons and tobacco from a downtown convenience store.

On Dec. 17, the Edmonton Police Service's (EPS) Community Safety Teams searched a Food Mart on 97 Street and 107 Avenue, which police said was known to be selling prohibited knives and contraband cigarettes.

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Police seized:

• 71 knives, including butterfly and spring-loaded knives;
• 8 brass knuckles with spring-loaded blades within, commonly known as "trench knives";
• 172 packages of cigarettes, totaling 3,470 illicit cigarettes; and
• more than $18,000 in cash.

"These weapons, including the so-called 'trench knives' that were designed as combat knives during the World Wars, contribute to the violence and disorder we are seeing in parts of our inner city," said EPS Sgt. Dana Gehring.

• Safety concerns around selling knives at Edmonton convenience stores aired at city committee meeting
• Convenience store owners accused of trafficking weapons, selling illegal products
• Knives shouldn't be for sale in convenience stores, community group and police argue

The 44-year-old store owner and two employees, 29 and 36, have been charged with:

• weapons trafficking;
• possession of stolen property over $5,000;
• fraud under $5,000; and
• contraband tobacco trafficking.

Anyone with information on the illegal sale of weapons is asked to call EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.

Anonymous information can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online using the P3 Tips tool.