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Two arrests have been made in connection with what police are calling heinous crimes that were committed last year in the Lower Mainland.

A number of murders, attempted murders, and violent home invasions – involving the torture and mutilation of victims – took place in 2014. Investigators with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia, the Edmonton Police Service, and Integrated Homicide Investigation Team determined a group out of Edmonton committed all the violent offences.

Police say the primary activities of the crime group involve murders, home invasions, robberies, kidnappings, extortion and drug trafficking.

IHIT became involved after the October murder of 23-year-old Theoren Poitras in Richmond. He was found face down in a pool of blood on the grounds of R.C. Talmey Elementary School

Authorities have since linked that murder to Sean Jacob Lee Jennings, a 27-year-old Edmonton man now charged with first-degree murder and Peter Blake Edmonds, a 24-year-old Edmonton man charged with accessory to murder after the fact.

One week prior, four men forced their way into a basement suite in Surrey and duct-taped a victim, police say. Two neighbours then heard a commotion and went to investigate. An altercation ensued between the groups and one of the suspects fired three shots, striking one of the men in the jaw. Edmonds has since been charged in relation to that shooting as well.

“The investigation into the murder of Theoren Poitras was an integrated effort involving a number of agencies,” explains Supt. Dwayne McDonald.

“Our investigators were able to make a connection between the murder of Theoren Poitras and the alleged suspects, in part, because of the partnerships we share with other agencies ... The murder of Theoren Poitras, who was connected to organized crime, is believed to have been targeted and represented a substantial risk to public safety."

That point was further enforced by District Commander Dan Malo, who says today’s outcome is a testament to the fact organized crime has no respect for community, city, or provincial boundaries. He also added these types of investigations are not limited by geographical boundaries.

Jennings has been in custody in Edmonton since his arrest earlier this month for the shooting death of Alor Deng. He is charged with second-degree murder and four other firearms-related charges that stem from the alleged killing of Deng on July 20, 2014.