“We hope that at least the rest of the companies, if they do indeed do this illegally, that it is a wake-up call for them”
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Edmonton police shut down an illegal liquor ring earlier this week and the president of the Alberta Liquor Store Association (ALSA) said she hopes those charged could face jail time, “making it set an example”.
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Ivonne Martinez, president of ALSA, said police have been investigating liquor store robberies for years and it’s nice to finally see charges laid.
“I know it takes a long time to build cases, so if this is just the start, it’s a really good start,” she said.
“We hope that at least the rest of the companies, if they are indeed doing this illegally, that this is a wake-up call for them. They shouldn’t do this and the fines can be extremely high and their licenses are probably stripped along with it.
On Tuesday, Acting Staff Sgt. David Graham of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) told the media that 10 people had been arrested, including three business owners, with a total of 40 charges laid in connection with their investigation into the illegal distribution network. . He added that three more arrests were planned at the time, with only one suspect not yet charged.
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Martinez said she now hopes prosecutors will be able to make their case in court and secure prison sentences for those involved.
“The very stressful and frustrating part of this whole system is that they could be arrested and charged, but that might not lead to anything in terms of jail time, so hopefully the courts can make the case for give them the maximum allowed under the law. law and make an example out of it,” Martinez said.
The EPS investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately $130,000 of alcohol, 350,000 unmarked cigarettes worth approximately $35,000, 1.49 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of approximately $185 $000, 730 fentanyl pills worth about $73,000 and 270 Xanax pills costing about $5,400. The items were seized via search warrants over several months from several Edmonton homes and businesses.
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Martinez pointed to ongoing liquor store robberies and said she was “pleased” that police were able to bring charges against some of the “gangs” that target specific liquor stores in the city. She said people were stealing alcohol and then selling it, or trading it for illegal drugs or guns. She added that in this case, some companies purchased the stolen product.
“We try to minimize (theft) as much as possible by providing good security systems in the stores, by hiring plainclothes guards, by being able to have cameras that catch infiltrators if they come in,” Martinez said.
“We know we are not immune to the scots and we hope to continue to work with the police and provide them with everything they need to reach these individuals who are committing these thefts and burglaries.”
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In an emailed statement to Postmedia, Taylor Mann, director of public affairs and corporate investigations at Sundial Growers, which owns and operates liquor stores such as Wine and Beyond and Ace Liquor, said the company “applauds” EPS’ commitment to combating alcohol theft. and illicit distribution networks.
“But there’s still work to be done,” Mann said. “Sundial will continue to work with all involved stakeholders to improve the safety of employees in our frontline stores, our customers and our communities.”
Graham said they will work with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) to ensure enforcement is applied to other companies involved.
“The AGLC recognizes that theft from retail liquor stores is a serious issue for many licensees. The AGLC had no role in the investigation, but looks forward to working with the Edmonton Police Service as the investigation continues,” the AGLC said in a statement emailed to Postmedia.
ktaniguchi@postmedia.com
