On Dec. 17, 2024, EPS’ Community Safety Teams (previously known as Healthy Streets Operations Centre or HSOC) executed a search warrant at a convenience store located at 97 Street and 107 Avenue that was known to be selling prohibited knives and contraband cigarettes.
Police seized:
- 71 prohibited knives, including a variety of butterfly and spring-assisted knives
- 8 prohibited brass knuckles with spring-assisted knives concealed within, known as “trench knives”
- 172 packages of contraband cigarettes (3,470 cigarettes)
- More than $18,000 in cash proceeds of crime
Weapons, tobacco, cash seized during execution of search warrant
Prohibited brass knuckles with spring-assisted knife known as “trench knife”
Other prohibited knives seized
The store owner, Okbamichael Tes Haile, 44 and two employees, Eyob Asgedom, 29, and Danial Gebrihiwet, 36 are charged with weapons trafficking, possession of stolen property over $5,000, fraud under $5,000 and contraband tobacco trafficking.
“These weapons, including the so-called “trench knives” that were designed as combat knives during the World Wars, contribute to the violence and disorder we are seeing in parts of our inner city,” says Sergeant Dana Gehring, with EPS’ Community Safety Teams. “As part of the Community Safety Teams’ mandate to promote healthy streets in Edmonton, we investigate businesses that are selling prohibited weapons and remove these dangerous items from store shelves.”
Anyone with information about the illegal sale of weapons is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.