By paNOW Staff

Sask. Drug Takedown: 14 charged after massive drug raid

Jan 15, 2015 | 10:59 AM

Police have released more information about a series of raids conducted Wednesday morning in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

In a media release early Thursday afternoon, RCMP reported that the raids were the culmination of an investigation that started in 2013, dubbed ‘Operation Forseti.’ 

In Saskatoon, nine homes and two businesses were targeted by police.

Officers also went to a home in Star City, Sask. and businesses in Melfort and Nipawin, Sask.  as well as two homes in Warman, Sask.

In Alberta, police raided two homes in Red Deer and searched a vehicle in Calgary.

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According to the release, the investigation ramped up after police in Burnaby, B.C. seized two pill presses, commonly associated with manufacturing ecstasy as well as fentanyl, a drug used to make fake OxyContin tablets that have been linked to at least three deaths in Saskatoon.

Police report that they became aware of the presses in B.C. following two of the deaths in Saskatoon in September 2014.  3,358 fentanyl tablets seized as a result of the raids are reported to have the same chemical make-up as the pills linked to the deaths.

Names of people charged 

Police listed 14 people who have been charged so far in connection to Operation Forseti.  13 of them appeared in Saskatoon Provincial Court Thursday morning. One is due to appear at a date to be determined. They are facing charges ranging from drug trafficking and weapons charges to assault and possessing proceeds of crime.  Several are members of the Fallen Saints motorcycle club, which police describe as a puppet club of the Hells Angels.  

The 14 people charged are:

John Fekete, 30, of Saskatoon

Carl Trobak, 28 of Saskatoon

Justin Smith, 33 of Saskatoon, 

Daryl Nagy, 25, of Saskatoon 

Bradley Carl Mann, 37, of Martensville,  

Rob Allen, 35, of Saskatoon, 

Mark Michael Nowakowski, 44, of Saskatoon, 

Christopher Keith Lester 33, of Saskatoon,   

Armand Hounjet, 43,  of Melfort,

Layne Joseph James Boorman , 24, of Saskatoon

Ryan Hillman, 27, of Saskatoon

Travis Matthew Miles, 25, of Saskatoon

Thai Duong Tran, 26, of Vancouver

Terry Eide, 31, of Calgary