Officials with the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team and the Canadian Border Services Agency announced a massive drug seizure, one of the largest ever recorded in western Canada, in the wake of a series of arrests in the Edmonton area.
Investigators said the seized drugs included 292 kilograms of marijuana, estimated to have a street value of $2.9 million, just over 14 kilograms of heroin, with an estimated value of $5.64 million, and 6 kilograms of hashish, with an estimated street value of $150,000.
ALERT said a five-month drug trafficking investigation wrapped up June 4 – with three Edmonton men taken into custody at a west Edmonton storage facility.
At that location, investigators seized 95 kilograms of marijuana, and the hashish.
Meanwhile, CBSA officials arrested two men driving a semi-tractor trailer at the CBSA Commercial Facility at the Edmonton International Airport – where an inspection revealed 197 kilograms of marijuana, and 14 bricks of heroin.
Officials said the heroin seizure is the largest ever in Alberta – higher than the previous record of 12 kilograms that was seized by CBSA officials in Calgary in April, 2013.
In addition, the amount of marijuana seized is believed to be the largest-ever in western Canada – more than the 200 kg EPS seized in April of this year, and a 256 kg seizure by officials in British Columbia in November 2012.
It’s believed the drugs seized in this case were brought from overseas, and were being shipped from Vancouver to Toronto.
Five people are facing numerous drug charges: Dustin Stone, 24, Douglas Dach, 51, and Samuel Hutsulak, 24, all from Edmonton, and Barry Grindrod, 55, and Kodie Grindrod, 21, both from Chilliwack, B.C.
With files from Ashley Molnar
