Charges are expected after police intercepted a 20-kilogram shipment of meth that was in a hidden vehicle compartment.
The seizure was made during a traffic stop on April 9 near Wainwright, Alta., about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) says it had information that a driver had picked up the shipment of meth from Winnipeg and was attempting to drive it back to Edmonton.
The street value of the drugs is about $800,000.
“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,” Insp. Angela Kemp of ALERT said in a news release.
ALERT says two homes in Edmonton were also searched as part of the investigation, resulting in the seizure of the following items:
- 20,500 grams of methamphetamine;
- 3,100 grams of cocaine;
- 700 grams of cocaine buffing agent;
- 23 grams of fentanyl;
- a prohibited handgun with a suppressor;
- a loaded shotgun;
- counterfeit currency;
- a courier vehicle with hidden compartment; and
- $31,075 cash.
The guns have been submitted to the province’s firearm solutions lab for analysis and ballistics testing. The cash and vehicle will be considered civil forfeiture, police said.
Two people were arrested as part of the investigation but no charges have been laid.
The investigation is still ongoing and ALERT says charges are expected at a later date.
