Two people remain at large and two others are facing charges related to a drug bust executed Thursday evening in Innisfail.
Four people are facing charges for drug trafficking following a drug bust into Pet Store and Grooming: Innisfail Dog House last Thursday night.
“We saw the emergency response team run by with a drug dog,” said Melissa Chesney, employee of Dollarama who was looking out the front window just after 5:30 August 18. “We thought — ‘oh, it’s just a test or a practice,’” she said of the usually quiet area at Henday Mall.
“Then six police cars, a sheriff, peace officer and ghost car flew into he parking lot and surrounded the store,” she said. “We saw one man come out cuffed and go into the car,” she said, shocked at the events. “The emergency response team was dressed all in black clothes with the helmets and everything. The police were normally dressed.”
Police executed a search warrant on the local business, residence and two vehicles and seized what they are calling a significant amount of illegal drugs including cocaine as well as cash and a .45 caliber semi automatic hand-gun with ammunition.
Two men, whose names the police won’t yet release, face several related charges for possession for the purpose of trafficking and firearms offences. Additional charges are being pursued against two others, owners of the business, also from Innisfail, who remain at large.
“It’s a long process — it was quite a few months of investigation,” explained Const. Kublanski of the Innisfail RCMP detachment. He said the lead investigator was Const. Jordan St. Croix. The investigation also involved several policing partners including two Calgary based ALERT Teams — Safer Communities and Neighbours and Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.
Searches were completed by the Red Deer and Edmonton RCMP emergency Response Team, several members of the Innisfail RCMP detachment with assistance from ALERT members and Innisfail Traffic Services.
“It was surprising – very surprising for something like this to happen in Innisfail,” said Chesney. She said she never would have imagined the store, which operates as a pet and grooming business, would act as a front store.
Daryl Hillman, property manager for Henday Mall said he wasn’t told about the search warrant until after the event.
“We contacted the RCMP and they’re telling us they can’t tell us anything while the investigation is going on. That’s as much as we know. They swooped in they’ve told us as landlords we’ll have to sit tight until the end of the month,” he said. “…they can’t tell us anything other than it is going to be sealed up and we won’t know anything until the end of the month.”
Witnesses said Friday police were observed at the Pet Shop with civilians taking the pets out of the store.
