Innisfail RCMP has kept up the heat on the town's illegal drug trade with a trafficking bust on a man and woman at a north-side residence.
On Jan. 10 RCMP executed a search warrant at a home and charged a 32-year-old female and 25-year-old male with possession of marijuana for the purposes of trafficking as well as an additional charge of possession of mushrooms for the purpose of trafficking.
RCMP Cpl. A.J. Mand said the amount of each illegal drug seized was not yet being released as they are still being processed by investigators.
He said last week the pair is in custody. A first appearance court date to speak to bail has not yet been scheduled, said Mand.
He said the man and woman arrested are not major players in the local illicit drug scene but added their arrests were important in the ongoing battle against crime.
ìThey do contribute to the drug trade,î said Mand. ìWe are getting a lot of complaints from parents, and there is a lot of information coming from the public and we are focusing on the drug scene.
ìDrugs is a major problem in town,î added Mand. ìThis (bust) is a start in putting a curb to drug trafficking.î
The RCMP investigation into the bust is continuing.
Suspicious prison letter probed
Innisfail RCMP was called last week to probe a suspicious letter that was sent to an inmate at the prison.
RCMP Cpl. A.J. Mand said Bowden staff intercepted a letter that was ìlacedî with drugs.
He said the inmate has not been charged but RCMP are investigating the origin of the letter.
Mand said Innisfail RCMP has received several calls in the past from the institution to look into similar illegal mail deliveries.
Cops nab suspected impaired driver
A Fort McMurray man is facing drunk driving charges after being arrested by RCMP along the Queen Elizabeth II Highway (QEII).
Innisfail RCMP Cpl. A.J. Mand said an officer was driving southbound on the QEII at about 10:55 p.m. on Jan. 7 when a vehicle was noticed parking on the side of the highway.
Mand said the police officer stopped to investigate. The 32-year-old male driver of the vehicle was visibly impaired and he was arrested.
The suspect later provided two breath samples and his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. The man was charged with impaired driving.
Meanwhile, Innisfail RCMP officers were kept busy during the evening of Jan. 9 and into Jan. 10 when a winter storm blew into the region making local and regional roads and highways hazardous.
Mand said the local detachment members were called to eight accidents, all on the QEII.
ìThe road conditions were horrible, icy with large amounts of snow that fell with wind blowing. Visibility was a problem,î said Mand, adding drivers should exercise common sense when encountering threatening weather and road conditions. ìJust because the speed limit might be 110 kilometres an hour, it doesn't mean you should drive that fast. You should drive as fast as you can safely control the vehicle. Slow down and make sure you can see your surroundings.î
