Edmonton
Strathcona County RCMP investigate recent sextortion scams
Strathcona County RCMP investigate recent sextortion scams
Strathcona County, Alta. – Strathcona County RCMP have received three reports of sextortion scams since the beginning of June.
Sextortion is a form of exploitation that involves the threat of releasing shared intimate videos, images, or explicit messages online. Victims are typically lured into an online relationship through social media. As the relationship builds, victims are coerced into performing a sexual act on camera. The victim is later advised that the event was recorded and to pay a fee or the video or photo will be released publicly. In some cases, the victim might be asked to send more explicit images.
The reported incidents and social media platforms used may differ, but the results are usually the same – payments were requested to avoid having nude or compromising photos or video of sexual acts being released publicly to friends and family.
“It’s never a good idea to share intimate photos of yourself online even if it’s with a person you trust,” said Cst. Chantelle Kelly of the Strathcona County RCMP. “Sharing intimate photos leaves you vulnerable to being exploited.”
How to protect yourself from sextortion
- Don’t accept ‘friend’ requests from strangers;
- Do not engage in online chats with people you don’t know;
- Carefully consider who you are sharing explicit videos and photographs with;
- Deny any requests to perform an illicit act over the internet;
- If you get such requests, stop all forms of communication with the individual;
- Don’t comply with any threats;
- Disable your webcam or any other camera connected to the internet when you are not using it. Hackers are able to obtain remote access and record;
- Consider using public profile photos that do not fully identify you;
- Take further steps to improve the security of your social media profiles. Keep your friends list private and ensure your profile and photo albums are not open to the public.
If you have been a victim of this type of scam, report it to your local police detachment. If you are approached by a scammer, immediately stop all forms of communication and do not comply with the threats.
News release from ALERT (The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team)
Nearly $2.5 million in drugs and cash was seized from a southwest Edmonton condo building. A warrant has been issued for an Edmonton man.
ALERT Edmonton’s organized crime team made the seizure on October 9, 2024 after searching an address in the Windermere neighbourhood. The Edmonton Police Service helped with the search warrant execution.
ALERT seized an estimated $2.3 million worth of drugs, which included:
- 17.7 kilograms of cocaine;
- 5.3 kilograms of MDMA;
- 950 grams of methamphetamine;
- 3.1 kilograms of ketamine;
- 5 kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms;
- 20,000 oxycodone pills;
- 4,705 illicit prescription pills;
- $41,000 cash.
ALERT searched the address following an investigation that dates back to June 2024. Investigators developed information about a high-level drug trafficker operating in the Edmonton area with a number of supply lines.
The drug seizure marks ALERT’s largest since a record bust earlier in the year. In August, 27 kilograms of cocaine were seized from a west Edmonton home. The two investigations are unrelated.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Minh Nguyen. The 36-year-old Edmonton man is wanted on charges of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime, and possession of counterfeit money.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact police.
The investigation began in June 2024 after ALERT received information about a drug supplier based in the Edmonton area. ALERT alleges Nguyen was supplying other drug dealers in Edmonton and northern Alberta communities.
Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous.
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.
News release from the Edmonton Police Service
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has seized more than 66 kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and heroin in a large-scale drug investigation in central Edmonton.
In December 2023, members of the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement Section (EDGE) initiated an inter-provincial drug trafficking investigation.
During the investigation, three male suspects were noted to be involved in various aspects of inter-provincial drug trafficking, including transporting drugs into and out of Alberta, as well as distributing them throughout Edmonton, including the inner-city community. A storage location for the drugs was located in a central Edmonton high rise apartment.
On May 9, 2024, police executed search warrants at three residences and four vehicles. As a result of the search warrants, EDGE members seized:
- 55.7 kg of methamphetamine, worth approximately $250,650
- 8.7 kg of cocaine, worth approximately $696,000
- 2.5 kg of fentanyl, worth approximately $300,000
- 83.5 grams of heroin, worth approximately $28,400
- 20 kg of buffing agent
- Five handguns, three of which were loaded at the time of seizure and two of which had defaced serial numbers. Two were also reported stolen in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and one originated from the U.S.
- Four vehicles with hidden compartments
- Approximately $20,000 in various currency
Drugs and firearms located in one of EPS’ largest-ever drug seizures
“This investigation is believed to be one of the largest, if not the largest, seizure of controlled substances in EPS history,” says Staff Sergeant David Paton, with the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement (EDGE) Section. “Intercepting this huge volume of extremely harmful street drugs before they wreak havoc in our city is a rewarding outcome for our investigators, who have worked tirelessly for months on this operation.”
Jesse Koble, 29, is facing 27 charges, Mitchell Steeg, 31, is charged with nine offences, and Steven Santillana, 34 is charged with two offences, for a total of 38 drug and firearms-related criminal charges.
The EPS takes a strategic approach to drug and organized crime related violence through its Guns and Gangs Strategy. This plan considers the unique factors driving serious crime in the city, identifying key focus areas that require increased and sustained effort to reduce victimization and improve community safety.
The strategy leverages EPS’ internal expertise and external partnerships with other enforcement and social agencies to strike a balance between education, suppression, intervention, and prevention. It encompasses immediate and long-term solutions that both hold those perpetrating violence accountable and lead willing individuals away from gang association.
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