4 children found living in alleged drug trafficking house in central Edmonton

Editor’s note: this story originally said the children were under the age of 10 and has been corrected to reflect the correct ages. We regret the error.

A drug trafficking investigation at a house in Edmonton’s inner city turned up drugs, guns and more than $100,000 in cash, along with four children aged nine to 16.

“During the investigation, police learned that four children were living in the residence while the trafficking was taking place,” said police, adding the kids are now in the care of Children’s Services.

“It’s quite common, unfortunately, whenever we come across children in this type of situation, and not all of the time are they seized necessarily. In some occasions, if we’re able to find stable family members who can assist and have them moved into a safer environment, we try to do that,” EPS Acting Insp. David Paton said.

Police began their investigation in July after receiving tips from the community that controlled substances were being sold from a house in the McCauley neighbourhood.

Two people are facing more than two dozen combined charges. Officers found drug paraphernalia that is consistent with the sale and distribution of drugs, police said in a news release Friday.

Officers also found small quantities of fentanyl, meth and cocaine with a combined street value of $3,400 in the search that took place on Nov. 17.

Various “edged weapons” and brass knuckles, hundreds of rounds of ammo and 11 guns were found in the search.

Police said the two people were targeting vulnerable people in the neighbourhood.

“In addition to the children present in the home, our officers were concerned with the dozens of vulnerable persons they witnessed attending the residence to purchase controlled substances,” Paton said.

“A lot of our downtown homeless people were observed at that location regularly. I think the members themselves were quite taken by the number of people that were frequenting this location,” he added.

“On one particular day of surveillance – I think it was a two- to three-hour period – there was anywhere between 20 and 25 people,” Paton said.

He added this isn’t uncommon and police are currently investigating many similar situations.

The accused have not been named to protect the identity of the children involved.

A 49-year-old man has been charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, careless use and storage of a firearm, possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of stolen property.

The man and a 45-year-old woman also living on the property both face eight charges each relating to child endangerment.

“The substances themselves were easily accessible, as were the loaded firearms,” Paton said.

“We do have one of the subjects having made an admission that they maintained a loaded firearm close to the doorway for their own protection… If that person was concerned about their safety, then it speaks to the condition the kids were subjected to.”