INNISFAIL – Up to 40 police officers raided three east side Innisfail residences simultaneously and arrested 12 people with four Innisfailians ultimately charged with drug-related offences.
And there could be more charges coming, said Innisfail RCMP Staff Sgt. Ian Ihme.
“We’re still looking into it but at this time we’ve just got the four,” said Ihme.
He told the Albertan that the multi-jurisdictional police operation on Nov. 5, which had been planned for more than a month, was an important bust in the ongoing battle against illegal drug operations in Innisfail.
“It definitely is. Is this bust by itself going to stop drug trafficking? No, it’s not but we’re hoping it will put a dent into it and just make people reconsider what they're doing and that this is not the town to do it in,” said Ihme.
“These people have been selling drugs for a while,” he added. “We often find people don't necessarily just learn their lesson just because they've been arrested. Our plan is to continue to monitor and follow up If the trafficking still continues.
“Drug trafficking gets dealt with because citizens don't stand for it, and neither do we,” Ihme continued. “We don't want it in the community. It wrecks the community, and it brings nothing good to the community.”
He said the trio of busts at three residences, two on 47th Avenue and another on 45th Avenue, began at 7 a.m. and went on until about 1 p.m.
Ihme said the primary police officers involved were from the Innisfail RCMP detachment in collaboration with members from Alberta Sheriffs Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN).
Providing operational assistance were members of the RCMP Emergency Response Team, Central Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit and the Red Deer RCMP Crime Reduction Team.
Ihme said police executed search warrants at all three residences and made the following seizures:
• three ounces of cocaine;
• one ounce of methamphetamine;
• items related to the sale of controlled drugs; and
• one taser.
Ihme said the four people arrested and charged were all known to RCMP.
Following the police busts Nicolas Caron, 38, of Innisfail, was charged with unlawful possession of items intending to be used for the purpose of trafficking a controlled substance.
Ihme said Caron was held for a judicial interim release hearing and released by a justice of peace to appear in Red Deer court on Nov. 18.
He said a 46-year-old male and a 38-year-old female from Innisfail have also been charged with unlawful possession of items intending to be used for the purpose of trafficking a controlled substance.
Both were released to appear in Red Deer court on Dec. 17.
As well, a 45-year-old female of Innisfail has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, said Ihme.
He said she has been released to appear in Red Deer Provincial Court on Dec. 17.
Ihme said the names of the latter three accused have not yet been released as their charges have not yet been sworn.
Ihme said no citizen nor police officer was injured during the trio of police busts.
