05-06-2025
Banned knives, stolen Winners clothes, illegal tobacco seized from Edmonton shop
Two men have been charged after Edmonton police searched a convenience store in the inner city earlier this year and found weapons, tobacco, stolen Oilers jerseys and clothes from popular stores.
On April 17, the Edmonton Police Service community safety teams (previously known as healthy streets operations centre or HSOC) searched a convenience store near 106 Avenue and 97 Street that police said was known to be selling contraband cigarettes.
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Illegal tobacco found by police at a convenience store 106 Avenue and 97 Street in central Edmonton. Edmonton Police Service
The officers seized 50 prohibited weapons, illicit tobacco and stolen clothing.
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During the search, police came across new, brand-name items being offered for sale, including approximately $4,500 worth of stolen clothing, handbags and running shoes from stores like Lululemon, Winners and Marshalls.
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Stolen brand name clothes with tags still attached found by police at a convenience store 106 Avenue and 97 Street in central Edmonton. Edmonton Police Service
The items had security and price tags still attached, some of which had been damaged by attempts to remove them.
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Stolen brand name clothes with tags still attached found by police at a convenience store 106 Avenue and 97 Street in central Edmonton. Edmonton Police Service
'The discovery of these brand-new stolen items highlights that in some cases, retail theft has evolved beyond isolated incidents and is now part of an organized system where stolen merchandise is sold at discounts by unscrupulous businesses,' said EPS Sgt. Dana Gehring.
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'This not only undermines the integrity of the retail sector but places immense financial strain on legitimate businesses trying to operate responsibly.'
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Police also found hidden compartments built into the store's shelving.
In total, police said they seized:
50 prohibited knives, including spring-assisted knives
12,485 contraband cigarettes with an estimated retail value of $3,125
Four stolen authentic Edmonton Oilers jerseys
13 other stolen articles of clothing, including brand name handbags, ball caps and running shoes
Six cellphones believed to be stolen
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Illegal knives found by police at a convenience store 106 Avenue and 97 Street in central Edmonton. Edmonton Police Service
The store owner, Filmon Assefw, 26 and employee Simon Assefw, 19 are each charged with:
Possession of weapons for trafficking
Possession of stolen property under $5,000
Fraud under $5,000
Possession of stolen property under $5,000
Sell, transport, deliver or distribute tobacco product that is not packaged/stamped
Edmonton police said investigators have identified an increasing trend of other central Edmonton convenience stores operating the same way, leading to a significant impact on surrounding businesses and communities.
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In response, the EPS is working with the City of Edmonton and other partner agencies to address it.
This past winter, police made similar discoveries at stores in the same area north of downtown Edmonton.
In December 2024, dozens of prohibited weapons and illegal smokes were seized from a convenience store along 97 Street near 107 Avenue in the McCauley neighbourhood, that EPS said was known to be selling prohibited knives and contraband cigarettes.
Police found 71 prohibited knives, including a variety of butterfly and spring-assisted knives, along with eight prohibited brass knuckles with spring-assisted knives concealed within, known as 'trench knives.'
Investigators also found 172 packages of contraband cigarettes (in total, 3,470 cigarettes) and more than $18,000 in cash proceeds of crime.
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The December seizure comes four months after another store just a block away was shut down by Alberta Health Services for not having a food-handling permit.
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That business in question was Bibi 16 Convenience Store, located at 10562 96 St.
The AHS move came on the same day police raided the business and found a plethora of illegal tobacco and street drugs, weapons and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash police believe came from criminal operations.
Police at the time said officers were seeing a disturbing trend with convenience stores openly selling drug paraphernalia, weapons and contraband tobacco and then dabbling into the sale of illicit drugs — threatening the safety of Chinatown and other central Edmonton neighbourhoods like McCauley.
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Cash, drugs and illegal tobacco Edmonton police said was seized from Bibi 16 Convenience Store, located at 10562 96 St. in July 2024. Edmonton Police Service
Anyone with information about the illegal sale of weapons, tobacco or stolen goods 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.
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