CALGARY – RCMP are showing off the results from two recent traffic stops that they say are evidence of increased gang activity in Southern Alberta.
On November 17th, officers stopping vehicles west of Calgary found 60,000 tablets of fentanyl – also known as fake Oxycontin – being transported on the Trans-Canada Highway.
RCMP say the vehicle was pulled over for speeding and the drugs were found in a “hidden compartment” of the vehicle.
Then, on November 21st, Mounties made another large drug seizure on Highway 1 near Brooks.
Officers stopped a transport truck and trailer with improperly sealed doors. They searched the vehicle and found 159 kg of marijuana concealed within the shipment. RCMP say the drugs originated in British Columbia and were destined for Ontario. The investigation is ongoing and charges have not yet been laid.
The seizures are prompting warnings from the RCMP’s Serious and Organized Crime office.
“More and more, we are seeing routine traffic safety stops result in drug seizures. This tells us that organized crime groups are very active in Alberta and beyond,” said Deputy Commissioner Marianne Ryan, Commanding Officer Alberta RCMP.
“These criminals prey on the young and the vulnerable so anything that disrupts their activity does have a direct impact on public health and safety.”
Fentanyl is a painkiller available in Canada by prescription as well as in hospitals to help induce sedation. It can be highly addictive and is believed to have contributed to several deaths in Canada.
WATCH: The Dangers of Fentanyl
Police believe the pills seized on the 17th originated in Canada and were manufactured illegally for the purpose of trafficking.
27-year-old Pasang Sherpa from Calgary was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning in relation to the pill seizure.
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