The first was for a residence in the 50th Avenue neighbourhood in Barrhead, while the second was for a County of Barrhead property on Range Road 41, near Highway 33.
Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds said the execution of the search warrants was the culmination of a multiple week investigation.
"It was a undertaking that could not have taken place successfully without the efforts of multiple police forces," he said, adding about 15 officers were involved in the execution of the warrants.
The police units involved included members from the Barrhead and Westlock detachments, the Parkland RCMP Dog Service, the Eastern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) and the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT).
Dodds said through a media release that the two primary targets of the investigation were located and arrested without incident.
He also added that police temporarily detained several other people that were subsequently released.
Between the two residences, Dodds said, police seized more than $20,000 in cash along with quantities of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine and other substances they have yet to identify. Several imitation firearms were also seized.
In addition to facing several drug trafficking charges, Amanda Abrams, 46, and Randy Wiebe, 63, are also facing charges concerning a May 22 assault that occurred over a drug debt. Dodds also said arrest warrants are pending for a 41-year-old Thunder Lake man and a 24-year-old Barrhead male for a variety of offences, including extortion and assault causing bodily harm.
To notify the public of the increased police presence and that there was no threat to the public, the RCMP took advantage of the Barrhead and Area Regional Crime Coalition (BARCC) alert system. The first alert went out at about 7:30 a.m., while a second alert telling the public that the operation was completed was sent shortly after 12:30 p.m.
BARCC is a partnership between Woodlands County, the Town of Barrhead and the County of Barrhead, as well as the Barrhead RCMP and Rural Crime Watch.
It was formed in the spring of 2018, in part due to discussions Peace River-Westlock MP Arnold Viersen had with all parties to come up with initiatives to combat rural crime.
Area residents can register to receive alerts free online via the municipalities’ websites or in person. People not only can choose what medium (telephone, text or e-mail) they would like to receive the alerts but the type as well. The choices range from crime and RCMP alerts to events and programming information.
Other police actions
Police also responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on May 23 which resulted in the recovery of a stolen van and charges against a 21-year-old Kinuso man.
The complainant reported seeing a white van in the ditch in the area of Range Road 24. When police arrived they found the suspect, who gave a false name. After further investigation, they identified the suspect and learned that the van had been stolen from Fort Saskatchewan a week earlier.
The suspect was released. His first court appearance will be on Aug. 10.
