ATHABASCA - Search warrants on two homes in Athabasca this month resulted in charges against five different people for drugs and firearms offences.
The latest of the two unrelated warrants was executed March 11 in the downtown area of Athabasca. Officers located 110 grams of cannabis; five grams of methamphetamine; eight grams of psilocybin mushrooms; one litre of GHB; 1,200 counterfeit cigarettes; two prohibited weapons; and a prohibited firearm.
Drugs were allegedly sold from the home by lowering a can attached to fishing line out a window, said Athabasca RCMP Const. Jay Tessier in an interview March 26. Nunchucks and a sawed-off shotgun were also found during the search.
Two Athabasca men, Aykut Erdal and Don Bell, now face 10 charges for possession of prohibited weapons and possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Earlier in the month, on March 2, RCMP executed another search warrant on a home in the vicinity of the Athabasca industrial park on 53A St. after neighbours in the area reported a recent rash of suspicious behaviour.
Upon entering the home, police located and seized both drugs and prohibited weapons, and laid charges against Steven Harrison, Talia Favel and Tracey Carriere for possession of those items.
“The Athabasca RCMP will continue to take these types of files seriously and urge the public to do the same. If you would like to provide any information, don't hesitate to reach out,” Tessier said.
Athabasca RCMP responded to 420 other calls for service in the detachment area in the period between Feb. 10 and March 25 — which is about on par for this time of year, he said.
One of those calls included an alleged aggravated sexual assault in Calling Lake, where a woman is said to have been grabbed off the street by a man in front of his house and sexually assaulted in the bathtub of the home. A 63-year-old man was arrested and charged but has yet to appear in court.
RCMP also responded to a call regarding an assault with a weapon after a report of a machete attack in Calling Lake. Two suspects were arrested and charged, and the victim was taken to hospital for their injuries.
That was in addition to four other sexual assault complaints and six other simple assault investigations in the area, one of which resulted in a charge for a domestic incident. Two others remain open.
Police were also kept busy with four break-and-enters to local businesses and four others to seasonal residences in the area. There was also one careless use of a firearm investigation along with three others involving firearms.
There were also five calls regarding frauds under $5,000; two for criminal harassment, three hit and runs; seven breaches of conditions; three child welfare cases; and nine mental health checks.
Additionally, police responded to six false alarms, and 24 unfounded 911 calls, and kept their eyes on two demonstrations that took place in the community in late February.
