On July 10, the Strathmore General Investigation Section (GIS) and the Rocky View County enhanced policing unit collaborated on a search warrant that rendered the seizure of illicit drugs, fire arms, and other items.
The bust took place at a rural property located on Glenmore View Road in east Rocky View County, south of Chestermere and west of Langdon.
The operation, which involved the assistance of the RCMP Emergency Response Team, Strathmore General Duty members, Drumheller RCMP GIS, and an Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis investigator, resulted in the arrest of three individuals.
“This search, seizure, and arrest of involved individuals was a result of the cumulative work of our General Investigation Section and Enhanced Rocky View County position to remove contraband products from our communities,” said Strathmore RCMP Detachment Commander, Staff Sgt. Mark Wielgosz, in a press release.
Among the items seized were four firearms, including a rifle, shotgun, carbine-style rifle, and an automatic carbine style rifle equipped with an extended capacity magazine and silencer. Ammunition was also confiscated during the operation.
In addition to the firearms, Strathmore RCMP's press release stated law enforcement officials discovered a significant quantity of illegal cigarettes, totalling approximately 65,600, contained within 328 cartons.
The search also found 150 packages of edible cannabis products, each labelled with the THC content, as well as approximately 1,000 illegal cannabis cigarettes.
Furthermore, authorities discovered three litres of a substance believed to be liquid THC, 150 grams of Psilocybin (magic mushrooms), 50 grams of dried cannabis, more than 300 grams of suspected cannabis hash product, several boxes of cannabis vaping devices, and over $5,000 in cash.
The operation led to the arrest of a 40-year-old male, a 30-year-old female, and another 24-year-old female, all residents of Rocky View County. Following their arrest, the individuals were transported to the Strathmore Detachment for questioning. They were later released pending their appearance at the Alberta Court of Justice in Strathmore.
The charges the accused will face include offences such as unsafe storage of a firearm, possession of a prohibited firearm or device, unlawful possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking, selling, transporting, possession of contraband tobacco, possession of Psilocybin, fraud over $5,000, possession of untaxed or unmarked cigarettes, possession of a large quantity of tobacco, and possession or sale of a significant number of cigarettes.
The accused have not yet been identified by police as the charges haven't been sworn before the courts yet.
The release stated that the investigation is still ongoing and additional charges may be filed.
