Police, CRA raid Edmonton properties linked to alleged 'criminal organization'

Police say charges are pending following a raid this week on multiple properties connected to notorious Edmonton landlord Abdullah Shah, also known as Carmen Pervez or Gohar Pervez. 

Officers with Edmonton police and the Canada Revenue Agency executed search warrants Wednesday at several buildings, including three properties in the McCauley neighbourhood. 

"The warrants are in relation to a group of property owners that have allegedly been operating as a criminal organization in the city of Edmonton for many years," a police spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Police would not say who may be facing charges in connection with the raid, or what the charges could be.

Shah was seen by a local resident, Dave Williamson, entering one of the properties in McCauley shortly after the raid. Williamson took pictures and sent them to local media.

Raided properties connected to Shah

One property, at 9317-19 111th Ave., is co-owned by a numbered company, 1443028 Alberta Ltd., controlled by Shah's wife, Tasneem Gohar.

A CBC investigative podcast, Slumtown, revealed that courts, police and health authorities believe Shah is linked to the company, which recently owned dozens of problem properties in Edmonton's inner city.

In a recent court case that involved Alberta Health Services and Shah and his associates, a judge determined Shah was an "owner" of many properties that had been owned at the time by 1443028 Alberta Ltd., which the judge referred to as 3028 Corp. (The definition of owner used in the case was broad, but essentially it meant the judge believed Shah had care and control of the properties.)

"Shah has written letters for 3028 Corp., and has attended AHS inspections of properties owned by 3028 Corp., without the corporate representative Gohar," the decision read. "Shah has given AHS information on vacancies and the names of tenants. He has responded to requests for inspections and has refused entry to vacant suites."

The judge also noted that Shah wrote an email to a health inspector in 2016 saying all future requests and communication for the company should be sent to his attention. 

The judge said Tasneem Gohar, the director of 1443028 Alberta Ltd., has denied she is an owner of any properties registered to the company.

"There is an absence of evidence tying her in her personal capacity to any property that is the subject of these proceedings, or any other property dealt with by AHS and the respondents," the judge wrote.

That same numbered company also recently transferred a second property involved in the raid, at 9331 111th Ave., to a numbered company controlled by a Shah associate. She was charged along with Shah in 2016 for offences relating to the Public Health Act, but the charges were stayed because of lengthy delays.

A third property, at 9325 111th Ave., is owned by a different numbered company controlled by Shah, who took out a $187,000 mortgage on the property from a private lender in September of last year.

Officers on Wednesday also raided Shah's family home in southwest Edmonton's Haddow neighbourhood, police said, as well as an address near Castle Drive and 180th Avenue, an address near 76th Street and 161A Avenue, and an address near 43rd Avenue and 34th Street.

The CRA confirmed the raid took place, but would not provide more details. Details of the investigation will be made public when the CRA files a report with the courts, a process that could take up to 90 days.

"Criminal investigations undertaken by law enforcement bodies, including the CRA, can be complex and often require months or years to complete," spokesperson Randy Westerman said in an emailed statement.

CBC News contacted one of Shah's lawyers, who declined to comment.