A criminal investigation involving police resources from all three Prairie provinces has resulted in a significant seizure of meth in northern Alberta.
In a news release issued Tuesday, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams said it intercepted a shipment of 20 kilograms of methamphetamine that was “stashed inside a vehicle’s hidden compartment” earlier this month.
The operation also saw two Edmonton homes be searched.
The drugs were seized from a vehicle that had been pulled over for a traffic stop near Wainwright, Alta., on April 9.
ALERT said information gathered by investigators led them to conclude that someone had picked up a shipment of drugs in Winnipeg and that they were transporting that shipment to Edmonton.
According to ALERT, the drugs seized have an approximate street value of $800,000.
Insp. Angela Kemp said investigators believe the shipment involved “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,” she added, noting that the Winnipeg Police Service, Saskatoon Police Service and Edmonton Police Service all helped with the investigation.
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In addition to the meth that was seized, police said the search of the vehicle and homes also led to the discovery of 3,100 grams of cocaine, 700 grams of a cocaine buffing agent, 23 grams of fentanyl, a prohibited handgun, a loaded shotgun, counterfeit currency and more than $31,000 in cash.
ALERT said the cash and vehicle will be considered for civil forfeiture.
Two people have been arrested in connection with the drug bust but as of Tuesday, no charges had been laid.
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