Three people have been arrested, and a significant quantity of drugs and a firearm have been seized following an ALERT-led investigation into drug trafficking between Brooks and Medicine Hat.
On February 28, ALERT, with assistance from Brooks RCMP, arrested Abdullah Mela, a 28-year-old Calgary man, after stopping his vehicle in Brooks.
Mela was allegedly transporting drugs to Medicine Hat when officers discovered over one kilogram of methamphetamine and a loaded Glock handgun inside his vehicle.
Mela, who has a lifetime firearms prohibition due to a 2021 manslaughter conviction, was taken into custody.
In 2020, Calgary Court of Queen's Bench heard Mela decided to kill a man rather than face the humiliation of losing money in a gun deal gone wrong.
"That was the motive described by Court of Queen's Bench Justice Craig Jones as the judge found Mela, 23, guilty of second-degree murder on Monday in the 2016 death of Harsimran Singh Birdi, 20," CBC reported at the time.
"Mr. Mela was angry at losing $2,500," said the judge. "Mr. Mela felt diminished in the eyes of his companions."
"As Jones announced his verdict, Mela's mother broke down and began hitting and scratching herself as she screamed in Arabic," CBC reported.
Several sheriffs escorted the frantic woman downstairs and outside, attempting to keep her from harming herself until an ambulance arrived.
“There exists an inherent violence within the drug trade, and taking a firearm out of the hands of a drug dealer is a win for public safety,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Thorburn of ALERT.
Following Mela’s arrest, ALERT, with support from the Medicine Hat Police Service, searched two homes in Medicine Hat, resulting in the seizure of additional drugs and cash, as well as the arrests of two more individuals.
In total, ALERT seized an estimated $185,000 worth of drugs, including:
Loaded Glock handgun;
1,015 grams of methamphetamine;
493 grams of cocaine;
330 grams of fentanyl;
884 hydromorphone pills;
$34,730 cash.
The seized handgun has been submitted to ALERT’s Provincial Firearms Lab to determine if it has been used in other criminal offences.
Mela has been charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and multiple firearms-related offences. He remains in custody, with a bail decision scheduled for March 7, 2025.
Omar Farhat, 50, and Bonnie Mather, 64, both from Medicine Hat, have also been charged with multiple drug-related offences.
Residents who suspect drug activity in Medicine Hat are encouraged to contact the Medicine Hat Police Service at 403-529-8481 or submit anonymous tips online through mhps.ca or the MHPS mobile app.
ALERT, funded by the Alberta Government, is a collaborative effort of the province’s top law enforcement agencies dedicated to combating serious and organized crime.