Drugs, guns seized in RCMP raids near North Battleford

More than 37 kilograms of marijuana and nearly a kilo of cocaine were among the items seized during a series of RCMP raids in the North Battleford area.

The Mounties said Monday that officers from a number of RCMP units executed search warrants at six properties Friday. They seized 37.25 kg of marijuana, 839 grams of cocaine, seven guns (including one reported as stolen from North Battleford), ammunition, drug trafficking equipment and a large sum of cash.

Three men from the area were arrested and charged with one count each of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of property obtained by crime. A warrant has been issued for a fourth man who’s facing those charges.

Another man was charged with two counts of unsafe storage of a firearm and one count of unauthorized possession of a firearm.

The arrests and seizures arose from a six-month-long investigation by the North Battleford RCMP’s Gang Task Force and the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Crime Reduction Team (CRT) and Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST).

“This was a proactive, in-depth investigation. Because of the meticulous work of our police officers, a very significant amount of weapons and drugs have been removed from the street,” Staff Sgt. Jason Teniuk, acting commander of the North Battleford RCMP, said in a release.

“We will not tolerate the trafficking of guns and drugs in our community and will continue to proactively investigate and charge those who do so. This is another example of the results of the tireless work our Gang Task Force officers, who work in our detachment area, do everyday to keep our communities safe.”