Watch above: It’s being called one of the largest drug seizures in western Canada, and it happened right here in Edmonton. Vinesh Pratap reports.
EDMONTON – The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team has made one of the largest drug seizures in Western Canada’s history.
Nearly $9-million worth of marijuana, hashish, and heroin were seized after a number of people were arrested in the Edmonton area.
The drug seizure includes:
- 292 kilograms of marijuana, with an estimated street value of $2.9 million
- 14.1 kilograms of heroin, with an estimated street value of $5.64 million
- Six kilograms of hashish, with an estimated street value of $150,000
On June 4, three Edmonton men were arrested at a west Edmonton storage facility and 95 kilograms of marijuana and six kilograms of hash were seized.
Two men were arrested on the same day at the Canada Border Services Agency’s commercial facility at the Edmonton International Airport. The two men were driving a semi-tractor trailer. One hundred ninety-seven kilograms of marijuana was found inside the trailer, and 14 bricks of heroin were discovered in a hidden storage compartment underneath the trailer.
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The trailer was searched after law enforcement witnessed some of the drugs inside the trailer being moved to another vehicle in Edmonton.
“The semi-truck had some of the products from the pot and hash taken from it, put into a vehicle, and we took off after the vehicle, and the semi-truck ended up leaving. We tracked that to the CBSA site,” explained Inspector Darcy Strang, ALERT.
The heroin seizure is the largest in Alberta history. The marijuana seizure is believed to be the largest-ever in Western Canada, surpassing the 200 kilogram bust by Edmonton police in April and a 256 kilogram seizure in B.C. in 2012.
“Our information suggests this shipment originated in Vancouver. It made a stop in Calgary, before arriving in Edmonton, and the transport truck was also scheduled to stop in Regina and Winnipeg, with a final destination in Toronto,” said Inspector Darcy Strang, ALERT.
“One only can speculate as to the drug affiliated damage that ALERT and CBSA has spared those communities.”
WATCH: Authorities put on a show and tell from their record drug bust
Five people have been arrested, and are facing a number of drug charges:
- Dustin Stone, 24, from Edmonton
- Douglas Dach, 51, from Edmonton
- Samuel Hutsulak, 24, from Edmonton
- Barry Grindrod, 55, from Chilliwack
- Kodie Grindrod, 21, from Chilliwack
Police believe the five men are connected to large organized crime groups.
“We’re coordinating with our colleagues at CFSEU (Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit) B.C. and continue to work with the CBSA to pursue further leads,” added Strang.
Edmonton police and the RCMP Roving Traffic Unit helped with the drug busts.