Two people have been charged after about $340,000 worth of fentanyl and methamphetamine was seized from a north Edmonton home.
The pair was arrested by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ organized crime and gang team on May 11 after a home in the Lake District area of Edmonton was searched.
“This was a short-term, targeted enforcement operation designed to curtail the suspected criminal efforts of a recidivous offender in our community who was on federal parole at the time,” said Staff Sgt. Blayne Eliuk with ALERT Edmonton.
ALERT said officers seized:
- a loaded handgun with defaced serial number
- a rifle
- 4,600 grams of meth
- 521 grams of fentanyl
- $13,000 cash
“This is another gun off the street and out of the hands of a suspected drug dealer,” Eliuk said in a news release Wednesday morning.
“The drug trade is inherently violent and ALERT’s investigations are focused on suppressing violence through drug enforcement.”
Jesse Thomson, 29, and Destiny Poitras, 23, were arrested and charged in connection with the investigation.
ALERT said Thomson was a federal parolee at the time and currently bound by four court-ordered firearms prohibitions. Thomson has been charged with 17 offences including possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime and 14 firearms-related offences.
Poitras is charged with 13 offences including possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime, seven firearms offences and multiple breach charges.
The Edmonton Police Service and Correctional Services of Canada assisted in the investigation.