US-Initiated Arrest
Calgary – More details are emerging surrounding the arrest of an AyahuascaCanada member in Calgary as part of Operation Dear Santa (ODS). ODS saw the SWAT arrest of a Calgary businessman for allegedly importing ayahuasca into Canada.
According to court documents ODS actually started in Florida with the seizure of a two-kilogram package by United States Border Services. US Homeland Security then delivered the package to CBSA agents and CPS officers.
The CBSA and CPS then initiated Operation Dear Santa where undercover officers posed as DHL agents to deliver the package. DHL was ordered to provide a DHL storefront operation, DHL uniforms and a DHL delivery van as part of the operation. DHL was also ordered to alter their online parcel tracking system to account for the delays in delivery of the package.
The Chad Gillies arrest was a joint operation between two enforcement agencies, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBS) and the Calgary Police Service (CPS). The CPS used undercover officers and the Calgary SWAT team to conduct the arrest. CBS agents were also in attendance and the warrant ordered DHL, the courier company, to co-operate with law enforcement.
The CPS describes their SWAT team as “a highly specialized area of the Service that responds to high-risk incidents involving weapons or beyond the scope of a standard patrol response.” Chad has no prior arrests, does not have firearms in his house and is not a registered firearm owner.
According to the arrest warrant a fake package, complete with an electronic tracking device was made up for delivery. The tracking device was also able to monitor whether the package had been opened.
The warrant ordered DHL to co-operate with police by providing undercover police officers with the use of a storefront, DHL uniforms and a DHL delivery vehicle. DHL was also ordered to modify their online delivery tracking system to account for any discrepancies in the delivery process. It’s not clear whether DHL received compensation for their involvement.
The warrant further specified that Chad’s computer, phone and electronic devices be seized to search for credit card statements, online communications and any of his internet history related to importation of the package.
A half-hour after undercover officers delivered the package, the SWAT team showed up at his Crescent Heights home and conducted the high-risk arrest.
As Chad recounts, he was confronted by rifle-wielding SWAT team members who were yelling at him that they would shoot him. He was then forcefully thrown to the ground and handcuffed. The handcuffs were tightened to the point that circulation was cut off to his hands and possibly caused nerve damage to his thumb.
This is of particular concern to Chad because he is a musician and specialty welder and this injury may affect his livelihood. Chad was then bundled up into the SWAT team van and driven to the police station where the arrest was formally made.
Chad can’t recall whether the police actually read him his Constitutional Rights or not and he believed he may have been in shock at this point in the process. He does recall that when he was speaking to members of the SWAT team afterwards, they appeared to be embarrassed.
He was not fingerprinted at the time and was instead given a notice to appear for criminal charges and fingerprinting at a later date. He was then released.