Local cops bust major trafficking operation
By Lethbridge Herald on June 20, 2025.
Project Leadline seized millions in cash, property and drugs over its two-year lifespan.Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald
A two-year investigation into organized crime in southwestern Alberta wrapped up this week with nine arrests and more than $2.5 million in assets seized along with a large amount of cocain.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) with the help of Lethbridge Police Service, Taber Police Service and the RCMP, concluded Project Leadline having dismantled an extensive drug trafficking network, said ALERT Inspector Brad Lundeen.“The crime group was linked to Taber and Lethbridge and the scope of the operations would have impacted all communities within the region,” said Lundeen.
The group’s economic impact would be represented in the millions of dollars. Alert sized $500,000 worth of drugs and restrained more than $2 million in assets linked to suspected drug trafficking activities.
“Restrained assets include property, houses and bank accounts and ALERT is alleging that this group was using real estate to laundry the proceeds of crime,” said Lundeen.
ALERT criminally restrained seven properties and eight bank accounts allegedly linked to the group’s criminal proceeds of crime.
The homes are in Lethbridge and Coalhurst with an estimated value of over $2.5 million.
“The properties restrained are now in possession of Canada’s Seized Property Management Directorate (SPMD), which is a government agency which is authorized to handle assets,” said Lundeen.
Those properties will be kept in custody and managed by SPMD until such time as the courts determine whether or not they can be completely forfeited to the Crown and then liquidated where the government would take the proceeds of those sales.
Lundeen added that drugs seized include large amounts of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine, two firearms, 5,088 grams of cocaine, 1,132 grams of a suspected cocaine buffing agent, 22 grams of fentanyl, 253 grams of methamphetamine, 500 methamphetamine pills, 1,000 milliliters of GHB and $91,941 cash.
Four suspects have been arrested: Duc Vo, 47-year-old from Lethbridge, Nga (Linda) Vo, 45, from Lethbridge, Chantal Bareman, 40, from Taber, Ryden Melhalf, 20, from Taber and warrants have been issued for five suspects, Johan Braun-Suderman, 38, Kade Phillips, 36, Gerhard Wolf, 38, and Malachy Young, 23, all from Taber. A 19-year-old has also been charged as a young offender.
“Together, they face 63 charges related to participation in a criminal organization, drug trafficking, criminal conspiracy and money laundering,” said Lundeen.
During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, LPS Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh told reporters that this investigation sends a clear message that when law enforcement agencies work together, they are stronger, more effective, and better positioned to keep their communities safe.
“Collaboration in policing is vital. By combining our intelligence, experience and resources, we’re able to take meaningful action and achieve tangible results,” said Mehdizadeh.
He said that criminal networks operate across jurisdictions and so they must do the same.
“We are committed to continuing these partnerships to protect our communities, reduce the harm caused by drugs, and hold offenders accountable,” said Mehdizadeh.
Lundeen said that Project Leadline dates back to April of 2023 and relied on a number of agencies including Lethbridge Police Service, Taber Police Service, Calgary Police Service, various units within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Border Services Agency, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations as well as Forensic Accounting Management Group, also known as FAMG, and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, also known as FINTRAC, and Canada’s Seized Property Management Directorate (SPMD).
“We shared intelligence with our US partners and initially were just looking for potential links as related to drug trafficking activities with context to the United States. I will caveat that none of the drugs seized nor any enforcement actions we’ve taken, did we establish specific seizures of drugs crossing either from the United States into Canada or vice versa,” said Lundeen.
19-18
Wonder how quickly those arrested will be back on the street and dealing drugs that kill our citizens?
I am happy to see law enforcement taking down these scum who caused so much death, destroyed so many families, and cost society so much!
Well done! Keep it up!
Now you will probably hear from the non-profits who benefit from the drug crisis, paying themselves well and don’t want that money that gives them a good lifestyle to end by saying it will negatviely impact the addicts and the addicts will suffer!
Sorry, but it is time we got back to supporting the taxpayers who are paying for all of these impacts from the drug crisis, costing us billions across Canada each year! The criminals have had too many free rides, and organized crime has exploded in the last 10 years in Canada in many areas!
Well done!