LLOYDMINSTER – ALERT Lloydminster’s organized crime and gang teams have busted a major drug trafficking ring following a 13-month investigation. Six people are facing about 30 drug-related charges in the covert operation dubbed Project Deception.
The drugs alone have an estimated street value of $571,000 and the totality of seized items included two handguns with ammunition, 3,600 grams of cocaine, 3,055 grams of suspected buffing agents, 1,223 grams of methamphetamine, 275 grams of suspected fentanyl, $101,888 cash, and $147,872 in restrained assets, including jewelry.
“Although Lloydminister is a smaller community, the amount of drugs that were being brought into Lloydminster was significant by this group and to be able to shut that supply line makes a large impact,” Sgt. Bruce Maclean of Lloydminster ALERT told reporters Tuesday monring.
“The issues that come with cocaine and methamphetamine; the addiction, and the crime, and the violence that can be associated to it, we see every day and our uniformed officers are respond to that everyday so the impact that we have by eliminating that line of drugs into our city is massive.”
Sgt. Maclean said the suspects were alleged to have been running this drug operation for “a long time successfully without police intervention.”
The investigation began in May 2021 following an initial drug seizure in Lloydminster, as part of a joint endeavour from ALERT and Lloydminster General Investigation Section (GIS). From there, ALERT launched Project Deception and sought to work up the drug supply line and uproot the Edmonton and Kelowna-based suppliers.
Drug seizures were staggered over the course of the investigation and took place in Lloydminster, Edmonton, Springbrook, Alta., Kelowna, B.C. and Vernon, B.C. On June 1, 2022 multiple homes were also searched.
The interprovincial drug trafficking investigation resulted in the seizure of over half a million dollars in drugs and cash. ALERT Lloydminster organized crime and gang team arrested the suspects between June 13 - 22 and a warrant has been issued for one of the suspects, 28-year-old Peter Hristov from Edmonton, is believed to have fled the country.
Project Deception was a joint forces investigation in partnership with Lloydminster RCMP, RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC), and British Columbia’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC).
“Project Deception has been a lengthy, complex investigation, which is reflected in the severity and scope of the charges being laid. These suspects allegedly supplied our communities with harmful drugs and now they will be held accountable before the Courts,” said Sgt. Maclean.
“Drug trafficking doesn’t occur in isolation,” said Supt. Marc Cochlin, ALERT Chief Executive Officer. “It is deep-rooted and presents a multitude of threats that ultimately impact many communities. The tenacity exhibited by our Lloydminster team showcases the success of ALERT’s integrated model and the benefits of policing partnerships across borders to disrupt complex criminal networks.”
Steven Rogan, 32, from Lloydminster was arrested, along with three Alberta residents, and two B. C. residents.
Project Deception focused on disrupting an interprovincial drug trafficking network linked to Lloydminster, and had drug suppliers based in Edmonton and Kelowna. The investigation began in May 2021 and saw homes searched in Lloydminster, Edmonton, Springbrook, Alta., Kelowna, B.C., and Vernon, B.C.
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.
Anyone with information on Hristov is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous.
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