Almost $1M worth of drugs seized by police during property search in East Village

Police seize over $1 million in drugs Watch: A pair of Calgary men are facing charges in connection with a drug operation at a southeast home.

An investigation that was launched this summer targeting individuals believed to be involved in organized drug trafficking in the city has resulted in charges against two people.

The Gang Enforcement Team (GET) initiated an investigation in July in response to the recent increase in violence and shootings in the city.

On August 15, GET executed a search warrant on a property in the 500 block of Riverfront Avenue S.E. with help from the Tactical Unit.

The apartment was contaminated with suspected fentanyl powder and the CPS SAFE team was called in to deal with the substance.

A man tried to flee the scene when police showed up and he was eventually taken into custody after struggling with officers. Another man was also taken into custody from the scene.

A search was also conducted on a vehicle in the parkade of the building.

"This is a significant seizure for the Calgary Police Service," said Staff Sergeant Kyle Grant of the Strategic Enforcement Unit in a release. "These drugs had the potential to be very dangerous to our community and we will continue to target individuals who are involved in organized drug activity in our city."

Police seized the following items during the execution of the search warrants:

Joshua Lloyd Okabe, 33, of Calgary, is charged with four counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, and one count each of production of a controlled substance, possession of proceeds of crime and resisting arrest.  He is also facing three counts of breaching a court order and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 23, 2019.

Darwin Buccat, 23, of Calgary, is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. He is expected to appear in court on Sept. 20, 2019.

Anyone with information about drugs or firearms offences is asked to call The Calgary Police Service non-emergency number at 403-266-1234, or 9-1-1 for a crime in progress. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers through either of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477

TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org