SASKATOON – The Crown stayed organized crime charges against Ali Asghar Sarfraz who was arrested in an inter-provincial police investigation dubbed Project Octane.
On April 25, charges of commission of an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization, conspiracy to commit trafficking of methamphetamine and cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine, and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000 were stayed, according to court officials.
The Crown doesn’t have to tell the court why charges are being stayed but an obituary says that Ali Asghar Sarfraz of Calgary died on April 19 at the age of 28. It says he was born in Karachi, Pakistan.
Sarfraz’s friend in Pakistan told Sasktoday.ca on Wednesday that they were shocked to hear of his arrest and now his death.
“Ali was a wonderful person with a big heart,” said Sarfraz's friend from Pakistan who wanted to remain anonymous. “I will miss that he used to cry on small things (he once cried after an exam because he messed up the exam). I will miss the emotional side of him, he was very emotional. He was one of the smartest students among us, and none of us could have ever imagined that he would be tied to a drug case. One of the most genuine people I came across. We all miss him very very much.”
Sarfraz was arrested in early 2021 following a nine-month joint investigation by Saskatoon Integrated Crime Reduction Team, the Saskatoon Police Service Drug Unit, in partnership with the Calgary Police Service Guns and Gangs Unit, in an inter-provincial joint investigation.
On April 8, 2021, five search warrants were granted to police for homes in the 100 block of Fast Crescent, the 200 block of Willis Crescent, the 1100 block of College Drive, the 300 block of 5th Avenue North, and a hotel room in the 400 block of 2nd Avenue South.
In Saskatoon, police seized $226,600 cash, 4,178 grams of Cocaine, 167 grams of Fentanyl, 67.06 grams of Methamphetamine, 568.92 grams of Marijuana, and six vehicles.
During the investigation the Calgary Police Service executed 23 search warrants in Alberta between April 2020 and May 2021. This resulted in 73 charges against nine people.
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