ARTICLES

In September 2024, a local Medicine Hat business owner reported to the Medicine Hat Police Service that he had received a phone call that prompted him to leave his home to go check on a business property. Once the victim was outside his home and in his vehicle, a male using a mask approached him and pointed a firearm at the driver's window. Reacting swiftly, the victim managed to escape and promptly dialed 911.

Following an extensive investigation, which involved multiple judicial authorizations, Daniel Vander Meulen, age 47, from Redcliff, AB, has been charged with attempted robbery, assault with a weapon, use of an imitation firearm, and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace. The investigation established that the victim was known to Vander Meulen and this was a targeted rather than a random incident with an intent was to rob the business owner.

Vander Meulen is scheduled to appear in court on April 16, 2025, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Medicine Hat.

Media Contact:
Acting S/Sgt Darren Lole
Criminal Investigation Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-581-1061

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, a month-long crime prevention initiative aimed at educating and informing consumers and the community on how to recognize, report, and stop fraud. Throughout the month, the Medicine Hat Police Service Community Support Unit will be sharing information on how to recognize and prevent citizens from becoming victims of common frauds and scams. This week’s focus is on mass marketing and phone scams.

Mass marketing and phone scams are currently one of the most common frauds.  Ultimately, the fraudster wants to obtain your personal information or be provided money from you in any method.  The difficulty in these types of frauds is that the targets believe they are dealing with a real company or someone they trust.  The fraudsters sound very convincing and work hard to manipulate the people they call.

Whether is it by phone or by email, if you are not certain you are talking to someone legitimate, end the conversation and contact the business directly to confirm.  Often fraudsters will use phone numbers that are “spoofed”, or copied, to look legitimate, or emails that look real but are not. A company will usually use its own name in the email address as a contact as opposed to an email ending in Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo.  These are easy things to confirm when you contact the businesses directly yourself.

One type of phone scam is an emergency scam or grandparent scam.  The scammer contacts a person posing as their relative and they sound scared and quiet.  They will call the victim by a generic name or title such as “Grandma” or “Grandpa”.  When the victim calls them by the name of their grandchild, they will make up a story that they have been arrested for a crime, they are being held somewhere and need bail or money to pay a fine or legal fees. They will often request that the money is wire transferred to a certain place, and they cannot tell their parents. Remember to always check with your family members to determine if an emergency call is legitimate before transferring money. Slow down any timelines and do your own research about the legitimacy of these types of calls.

Another common scam involves people posing as professionals from the Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Border Services Agency, Microsoft or computer technical support, or government officials in hopes to gather personal information or have money sent to them.  They may request e-transfers, gift card codes, crypto currency, or credit card information.  Remember, no legitimate company or government agency will request gift cards codes or crypto currency as payment.

Always call the company/agency back at their phone number that you have researched and confirm if the situation is real.

In general, a good financially responsible rule is to always ask questions before transferring or investing.  A professional will have no problem answering your questions, showing credentials, and providing references to prove they are legitimate.

Media Contact:

Sgt Adam Gregory
Medicine Hat Police Service
Community Support Unit
PH: 403-529-8451

On Monday, March 24, 2025, at 10:00 AM the MHPS Traffic Unit will be conducting an over-dimensional load escort involving two loads.  The over-dimensional load escort will be travelling on Highway #1 from the Dunmore truck scales to the east Medicine Hat limits, through the Southwest industrial area to the west limits of Redcliff Alberta.

Due to the size of the loads, the over-dimensional load escort will be required to counter-flow on highway #1. This will affect traffic along Highway #1 in both the east and westbound lanes, along with parts of Bomfort Cres SW, Redcliff Dr SW and Gershaw Dr SW.  The escort is expected to take approximately one hour to complete so please plan your commute accordingly. 

MHPS appreciates the motoring public's cooperation during these escorts and reminds motorists to obey all police officer, pilot vehicle and flag person's directions.

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, a month-long crime prevention initiative aimed at educating and informing consumers and the community on how to recognize, report, and stop fraud. Throughout the month, the Medicine Hat Police Service Community Support Unit will be sharing information on how to recognize and prevent citizens from becoming victims of common frauds and scams. This week’s focus is on online frauds.

Online frauds remain very prevalent as we continue to expand the ways we communicate on the internet. When we are not communicating face-to-face, it often makes it more difficult to determine if we are being targeted by a scam.

Romance scams, as spoken about in week 1, prey on people longing for friendship and relationships.  They will often convince the victim to send money for any reason that will be accepted by the victim. 

Online marketplace scams take advantage of unknowing internet shoppers.  Scammers will post a photo of an item (that may or may not exist) for sale.  They will request partial or full payment for the item prior to arranging a meeting with the buyer.  They buyer will show up at the meeting place and the suspects are nowhere to be seen, and the advertisements are quickly removed.

Lottery/Prize scams are another type of fraud often found online.  Scammers will send mass emails advising the recipient that they have won a cash prize or an item of significant value.  They will request credit card or banking information to deposit the funds, or they may request a cash deposit, wire transfer, or e-transfer in order to hold the prize for the victim.  Once they receive banking or credit card information, they will attempt to withdraw funds from the accounts.  The prize is never sent to the victim, and the money sent to the suspects is frequently not traceable.

In some cases, scammers will contact victims advising them of an issue with their computer files or computer accounts stating that they are a technology repair company.  They may convince the victim to allow them to remotely access their computer or device.  Once they gain access the suspects will attempt to retrieve banking information and passwords which are then used to withdraw money from the victim’s accounts.

In general, no legitimate company will request someone to send money, gift card codes, or deposit into crypto currencies.  The sad truth is that many of the scammers are across borders and once the money is e-transferred, money ordered, provided through gift card codes, or deposited into a crypto currency account, it is gone for good and extremely difficult to investigate and hold anyone accountable.  Beware of communication from any company that you have not previously been a customer, especially if it is not a local business that you are familiar with.  It is recommended that you conduct research on a company prior to hiring them.  The Better Business Bureau is a great resource, as well as word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted friends or family.

Communicate with people you trust if you think you may be involved in some type of scam, know that you can’t win anything you don’t apply to win, and remember that when things appear to good to be true, they likely are.

Media Contact: Sgt. Adam Gregory
Medicine Hat Police Service
Community Support Unit
Ph: 403-529-8451

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, a month-long crime prevention initiative aimed at educating and informing consumers and the community on how to recognize, report, and stop fraud. Throughout the month, the Medicine Hat Police Service Community Support Unit will be sharing information on how to recognize and prevent citizens from becoming victims of common frauds and scams. This week’s focus is on investment style scams.

Investment scams can happen in person, over the phone, online, or through mail. Often the intent is to get someone to invest their money into an established industry, newly emerging sector, or any other type of opportunity. Once the money is obtained, it is not invested as promised and kept by the person that it was provided to.

Ponzi schemes are based on investments that don’t exist.  Early investors are paid some of the money provided by later investors until there are no new investors and the scheme ends.  Typically, these are created by people offering high returns on money with low risks. The pyramid scheme often requests investors to find other investors and get them to invest as well.  This keeps the scheme going for longer.  Remember that when things seem too good to be true, they likely are. 

Crypto currency investments are also risky and are uncontrolled by governments and banks.  Once money is deposited into another person’s digital wallet, the ability to return the funds or have a successful criminal investigation is very low.

Some tips to protect your money from these types of frauds are:

• Ask questions. If you weren’t satisfied with the answers, keep asking.
• Always be suspicious of high-pressure sales tactics.
• Investment decisions take time and consideration, don’t let someone rush you.
• Appearances and charisma are assistants to fraudsters. Pay attention to the situation and not as much as the person selling it.
• Always seek advice from professionals.  Whether it be a lawyer, an accountant, or investment professionals.
• Never accept a verbal agreement; always get it in writing and keep it handy.
• Visit the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) Investor Alerts to stay up to date on the latest investor alerts and notices.
• In order to legally sell securities in Alberta, an individual must be registered with ASC (with very limited exceptions).

To protect against these common frauds, it is important to remain vigilant and NEVER provide personal or financial information over the phone.

To keep yourself in the loop about Fraud Prevention Month activities occurring provincially, follow the hashtag #FPM2025 on social media or visit the Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association website at https://www.albertacrimeprevention.com/fraud-prevention-month/

For more information about frauds and scams visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm.

Media Contact:

Sgt. Adam Gregory
Medicine Hat Police Service
Community Support Unit
Ph: 403-529-8451

Three people have been arrested after a handgun and drugs were seized. ALERT made the arrest in Brooks, Alta. on information that drugs were being couriered into Medicine Hat.

Abdullah Mela was arrested on February 28, 2025 by ALERT with help from Brooks RCMP. The 28-year-old Calgary man was allegedly transporting drugs to Medicine Hat when his vehicle was stopped in Brooks, Alta.

Inside Mela’s vehicle ALERT located just over one kilogram of methamphetamine and a loaded Glock handgun. Mela has a lifetime firearms prohibition as the result of a 2021 manslaughter conviction.

“There exists an inherent violence within the drug trade and taking a firearm out of the hands of a drug dealer is a win for public safety,” said Staff Sergeant Ryan Thorburn, ALERT.

Following the traffic stop and arrest, ALERT searched two homes in Medicine Hat with help from the Medicine Hat Police Service. The search of the homes resulted in the seizure of more drugs and cash, and two more people were arrested.

In total, ALERT seized an estimated $185,000 worth of drugs, including:

•              Loaded Glock handgun;

•              1,015 grams of methamphetamine;

•              493 grams of cocaine;

•              330 grams of fentanyl;

•              884 hydromorphone pills;

•              $34,730 cash.

The handgun is being submitted to ALERT’s Provincial Firearms Lab to determine if it was used in any other criminal offences.

Abdullah Mela is charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and multiple firearms-related offences. Mela remains in custody and is scheduled for a bail decision on March 7, 2025.

Omar Farhat, 50 years old from Medicine Hat, and Bonnie Mather, 64 years old from Medicine Hat, have also been charged with multiple drug-related offences.

In Medicine Hat, members of the public who suspect drug activity can contact the MHPS by calling 403-529-8481 or submitting tips online (anonymously if preferred) via the website at mhps.ca or the MHPS mobile app. The app is free to download and available for both Apple and Android devices.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

Media inquiries may be directed to:

Mike Tucker

Communications Director

Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)

780-509-3015

The Medicine Hat Police Service will be conducting an over dimensional load escort on March 5, 2025, starting at 9:00 am.  The over dimensional load will consist of two loads and will be starting at Bromley Mechanical (925 23 Street SW) to the west Redcliff town limits on Highway #1. Traffic will be affected in both the East and West bound lanes on highway #1 and in the SW industrial Area due to counterflowing of the over dimensional load.  Please avoid these areas if possible and arrange to take alternate routes, please be patient and follow all police/bylaw/pilot vehicle directions.

A 39-year-old man has been charged with kidnapping and sexual assault after a woman was held against her will.

In the early morning hours of March 2, 2025, a woman was approached by an unknown man who offered her a ride home. The man was driving a vehicle with an Alberta license plate. After repeatedly declining his advances, the woman eventually accepted the ride.

Once inside the vehicle, the man made unwanted sexual advances toward her. Instead of following the woman’s directions, the man drove onto the Trans-Canada Highway. The woman made several attempts to convince him to stop, eventually trying to physically force him to let her out. The man ignored her pleas and continued driving on the highway before turning into a residential area at a high rate of speed.

The victim was later picked up by family, who contacted police. The suspect’s vehicle was located a short time later leading to the arrest of the suspect.

Resulting from this investigation, Solomon Weldemichael, of Brooks, AB has been charged with Kidnapping and Sexual Assault. Weldemichael was held for a bail hearing and released with conditions. He is due to appear in court on March 18th.

Media Contact:

Acting S/Sgt. Darren Lole
Criminal Investigation Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: (403) 581 1061

An early morning traffic stop results in charges for possession of stolen property and forgery

At approximately 2:15 a.m. on March 1, 2025, a Medicine Hat Police Service patrol officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Redcliff Drive Southwest after observing a stop sign violation.

During the interaction with the driver and passengers, officers determined that the registered owner of the vehicle was not present. Additionally, officers observed illegal contraband in plain view inside the vehicle, prompting the arrest of all occupants.

A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered multiple counterfeit motor vehicle VINs. Further investigation confirmed that the 2021 Lexus GX4 SUV the occupants were driving was a stolen vehicle, which had been fitted with a counterfeit VIN.

Resulting from this investigation, three male subjects, 18-year-old Ali Shain from Lasalle, Quebec, 21-year-old Mohit Prasher from Montreal, Quebec, and 24-year-old Varun Mittal from Calgary have been charged with possession of stolen property and forgery.

Shahin was remanded in custody while Prasher and Mittal have court appearances scheduled for April.

Media Contact:

S/Sgt. Rod Thompson
Patrol Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8416

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, a month-long crime prevention initiative aimed at educating and informing consumers and the community on how to recognize, report, and stop fraud.

Frauds continue to victimize thousands of Canadians annually resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars being stolen from them.  Medicine Hatters are not immune to these scams.

There is a wide range of scams used by fraudsters. The best way to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud is to educate yourself on current trends and remain skeptical of any situation that appears too good to be true.  Criminals are constantly changing their tactics, and they are becoming more complex in their delivery of the scams.

Throughout the month, the Medicine Hat Police Service Community Support Unit will be sharing information on how to recognize and prevent citizens from becoming victims of common frauds and scams. 

This week the focus is on relationship scams which prey on our human need to connect with others. Relationships scams exploit a longing for friendship and relationships for the purpose of financial gain.

Communication often begins through a friend request or a “like” on a publicly shared photo.  These scams may continue for months or years with the victim truly believing that the suspect loves them and has their best interests at stake.  They will often convince the victim to send money to help them pay bills, or to pay for flights so that the suspect can visit the victim.  The suspect often has excuses for not using the money as intended and will request more money.  They will often video-call the victim to make the fraud seem more legitimate. 

In some cases, the victim’s friends or relatives realize the relationship is a fraud and must convince the victim who is deeply invested in the relationship. This fraud preys on people’s need for love and cannot only be financially draining but hear breaking.

Another common scam is the Grandparent scam where a scammer contacts someone pretending to be a loved one that is in trouble.  The trouble may include being arrested and needing bail money or having a serious incident happen where finances are needed quickly. Often the scammer will attempt to convince the victim that they need money within a quick timeline and request for the victim to keep the circumstances secret to not create embarrassment for them or their family.  We all want to keep our loved ones safe and want to help them where we can, which leads to the success of this fraud. This type of fraud exploits this care in hopes to trick the victim into believing they are a relative and sending them money. 

Extortion scams happen when a scammer obtains, or pretends to obtain, private information from someone or their family member and threatens to release this information if the victim does not pay money.  This often happens through social media applications and can often be associated to inappropriate photographs; however, it can also include any type of private information. The worry is that there is not guarantee that the information, if even possessed, would not be released anyway.

The best way to defeat these types of scams is through communication! If we find ourselves being requested to provide money to anyone that we don’t know well, especially over the internet, it is recommended that you ask somebody you trust about the situation. A review of these types of situations by someone not involved will often give a fresh perspective and typically lead to stopping the fraud. Further, it is important to remember that the internet is forever and that we need to be cautious of anything, including words, photos, or videos, that we post that could be used against us.  Once it goes on the internet, our content has the potential to end up in people’s hands that we don’t want.

For more information on common frauds and scams visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.

Media Contact:

Sgt. Adam Gregory
Medicine Hat Police Service
Community Support Unit
Ph: 403-529-8451