Over $1 million worth of illegal drugs were seized in Lethbridge on Saturday in what the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) believes to be the city’s largest drug seizure.
ALERT made the announcement on Tuesday, saying they found “significant quantities” of illegal drugs, firearms and cash while searching four homes on Feb. 11.
Further details were provided in a Wednesday morning news conference, at which time police revealed the investigation had been launched in December 2016 following a tip from the public about a group of suspected drug dealers.
ALERT said four kilograms of cannabis resin had been found in a hidden compartment in a vehicle during a traffic stop on Highway 3.
The traffic stop led police to execute search warrants on four homes located in the 200-block of Ryerson Road West, 200-block of Lasalle Terrace West, 0-block of Modesto Road West, and 800-block of 11 Street North.
According to ALERT, the drugs seized have an estimated street value of $1.2 million and include:
- 8,054 ecstasy pills
- 546 grams of cocaine
- 305 grams of methamphetamine
- 9 kilograms of marijuana
- 5 kilograms of cannabis resin
- 9 kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms
- 1,605 tabs of LSD
- 1,575 Xanax pills
ALERT said four vehicles with an estimated combined value of $140,000 were also seized.
Three people have been charged with 23 offences, including:
- Drew Boake, 27. Boake is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking (x 8) and possession of proceeds of crime;
- Alexander Herbert, 29. Herbert is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking (x 10) and possession of proceeds of crime;
- Katlyn Robinson, 23. Robinson is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking (x 2) and possession of proceeds of crime.
Boake, Herbert, and Robinson remain in custody and are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
With files from Erik Mikkelsen