ALERT and LPS take down drug dealers

By Lethbridge Herald on January 28, 2021.

Herald photo by Ian Martens Lethbridge ALERT team commander Staff Sgt. Leon Borbandy, flanked by Insp. Jason Walper and Insp. Shawn Boser, speaks to reporters behind a display of firearms, cash and drugs seized as part of an operation conducted last week. @IMartensHerald

Tim Kalinowski
Lethbridge Herald
tkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com
Lethbridge’s ALERT organized crime team with the assistance of the Lethbridge Police Service took down an alleged local drug dealing cell, and seized guns and $250,000 worth of drugs, cash and vehicles.
Five men have been charged as a result of an 11-month investigation which culminated in the arrests on Jan. 21.
The elaborate police operation required a simultaneous search of five homes in Sixmile, Uplands, The Crossings, Legacy Ridge and Fairmont.
Lethbridge ALERT team commander Staff Sgt. Leon Borbandy said this particular alleged drug network has now been completely disrupted as a result of the operation.
“We effectively disrupted this drug network,” he stated to media Thursday afternoon, “and that is very gratifying. This investigation is a major win for public safety.”
Borbandy thanked his investigative team for their commitment and ingenuity in helping to arrest the individuals involved. He also acknowledged despite these arrests there was a lot more work to do to clamp down on organized crime and the illegal drug trade in the region.
“It never stops unfortunately with drugs and addiction,” he said. “Drug dealers are always preying on those with addictions and vulnerabilities, and we are always trying to counteract that.”
According to a press release put out by ALERT, the search and seizure operation netted 10 firearms, including a prohibited handgun, 306 grams of cocaine, 39 grams of ketamine, 188 grams of psilocybin (magic) mushrooms, 36 milliliters of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), 826 tabs of LSD, four vehicles, and $159,000 cash.
The five Lethbridge individuals charged by police in association with this investigation are named as Kevin Coady, 32, Kristopher Hironaka, 26, Josh Barreira, 29, Thane Dahlseide, 25, and Willie Tailfeathers, a 25-year-old male.
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