Police recovered a signed Nugent-Hopkins Edmonton Oilers jersey, jewellery, a wall-mounted safe and other memorabilia after a forming a task force under the Intelligence Sharing and Action Program to pool resources.

Alberta RCMP and Edmonton Police charged four people in connection with 18 incidents in Edmonton, Strathcona County, Leduc and Fort Saskatchewan over a two-month period. The group is alleged to have stolen more than $125,000 in cash and goods and caused about $50,000 in property damage.

Police say it was clear members of the crime group were experienced, moved carefully and operated at all hours in an attempt to avoid police detection. To take them down, a coordinated strategy and additional resources were needed.

“Through a coordinated effort, and with the support of a High Altitude Surveillance Plane that helped guide surveillance on the ground, the task force was able to gather the evidence required to execute search warrants on four residences and locate and arrest four individuals,” said S/Sgt. Michael McCauley, acting officer in charge, Fort Saskatchewan detachment.

Police charged Brian James Hunt, 49, Nathan Michael Tucker, 32, Ashley Nathaniel Yardley, 33, and Ibrahim Mohamed Elkayal, 32. They face a total of 38 charges.

RCMP and municipal forces were able to conduct a large investigation outside of the range of each of their detachments using a collaborative model.

“This is true collaborative and intelligence-led policing,” said Superintendent Peter Tewfik, Officer in Charge of Crime Reduction, Alberta RCMP. “We were faced with an issue that impacted multiple jurisdictions and, together, developed and executed a strategy to meaningfully respond.”

Edmonton Police Deputy Chief Brian Simpson said criminals don’t pay attention to boundaries on a map and neither should police.