Alberta police have arrested two individuals after seizing $800,000 worth of methamphetamine in an investigation that involved law enforcement from three provinces.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) said they were tipped off to a vehicle heading from Winnipeg to Edmonton that had about 20 kilograms of methamphetamine stashed in a hidden compartment.
ALERT officers set up a traffic stop on April 9 near Wainwright, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, after they had received information that a lone driver had picked up the drugs in Winnipeg and was attempting to take them back to Edmonton.
Following the seizure at the traffic stop, police searched two Edmonton homes, where they found 3,100 grams of cocaine, 700 grams of cocaine buffing agent, 23 grams of fentanyl, guns, counterfeit currency, and about $31,000 in cash.
Two suspects have been arrested, but no charges laid. Charges are expected at a later date, police said.
Three municipal police forces played a role in the investigation, according to ALERT, including Winnipeg Police Service, Saskatoon Police Service, and Edmonton Police Service.
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“Organized crime doesn’t operate within the confines of borders. It is a sophisticated enterprise that spans provinces and jurisdictions. We are grateful for the help from our policing partners in Saskatchewan and Manitoba to keep this large quantity of drugs from being circulated in Edmonton,” said Insp. Angela Kemp of ALERT.
Last month, police in Edmonton and Calgary worked together to seize more than 17.5 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine. Investigators at the time said the drugs were linked to a provincial trafficking network.
In that instance, police executed a search warrant on a Calgary home, seizing 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 500 grams of cocaine, $30,000 cash, and other items like jewelry and designer handbags. Two individuals at the home were arrested.
A third individual was arrested in Edmonton. Police allege the suspect had taken drugs from Calgary to Edmonton for the purpose of trafficking. Police said they also found an additional six kilograms of methamphetamine and $4,000 cash.
ALERT also recently arrested a Calgary man who they said led them to find $185,000 worth of drugs in two Medicine Hat homes.
The Calgary man’s vehicle was stopped in Brooks, 189 kilometres east of Calgary. Following the vehicle stop, police searched two homes in Medicine Hat, where they found an additional 1,015 grams of methamphetamine; 493 grams of cocaine; 330 grams of fentanyl; 884 hydromorphone pills; and $34,730 cash.
Police said the man had previously been convicted of manslaughter in 2021. As part of his release, he had a lifetime ban from firearms. A loaded Glock handgun was found in the vehicle, as well as one kilogram of drugs.
