Police seize drugs, charge male with trafficking during targeted enforcement project

Lethbridge Police have charged a 37-year-old male with drug trafficking and removed 143 doses of fentanyl from the street during an enforcement initiative targeting crime and disorder downtown.

The project is part of a series of enforcement operations that will continue throughout the year involving uniform and covert officers actively targeting offenders engaged in criminal activity and other negative behaviours that impact downtown. Project days previously occurred throughout 2025 with police executing hundreds of warrants, seizing more than a thousand doses of drugs, recovering significant quantities of stolen property and laying numerous charges.

As part of the project on February 25, members of the Downtown Policing Unit were addressing an illegal encampment along the 200 block of 8 Street North and located a male known to have outstanding warrants. The subject was arrested and, during an incidental search, police seized 14.3 grams of fentanyl along with a drug paraphernalia and cash. The drugs were pre-packaged in bulk amounts and police suspect they were destined for sale to other drug traffickers who frequent that area.

In total, police executed 70 warrants during the one-day enforcement operation. 

Peter Stephen Many Bears, 37, of Lethbridge, is charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime under $5,000. He is currently in custody awaiting a Judicial Interim Release hearing.

Police remind the public to continue reporting all suspicious and criminal activity by calling 403-328-4444. LPS uses CompStat, a data-driven model where analytics are used to identify high-crime areas, prolific offenders and the most effective deployment of police resources. Knowing what is occurring, where it is happening and how often, helps give police an accurate picture of crime and disorder in the community, and enables more effective deployment of resources and enforcement strategies.

Some crimes can also be reported online, including theft under $10,000, mischief, theft from vehicles and damage to vehicles. There is also a category for ‘information only’ reports where citizens can report nuisance and non-criminal matters. Visit www.lethbridgepolice.ca and click online reporting.