RED DEER -- Police seized a cache of weapons and drugs, including 1.35 kilograms of suspected cocaine, in a massive Red Deer bust that resulted in six arrests.
Officers from the Red Deer, Sylvan Lake and Blackfalds detachments executed search warrants at properties in each of the three communities on Nov. 26.
Drugs seized included:
- 1351.4 grams (1.35 kg) of suspected cocaine a substance believed to be cocaine
- 353.2 grams of suspected meth
- 312.8 grams of suspected fentanyl
Mounties also seized $27,000 in cash, two firearms and five vehicles.
One of the vehicles, they said, contained a "hidden compartment" called a slip tank, likely used to smuggle drugs from B.C.'s Lower Mainland to Red Deer and nearby towns.
Six people—four Alberta residents and two British Columbians—were taken into custody:
- Curtis Wesley Augustus (38) of Grande Prairie, Alta.
- Aaron Capp (33) of Cold Lake, Alta.
- Justin John Goodhand (32) of Medicine Hat, Alta.
- Ilija Rade Jahura (26) of Kelowna, B.C.
- Denni Allen Martin (33) of Surrey B.C.
- Shawna Lori Willier (29) of Edmonton
Each faced three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, one count of possession of stolen property over $5,000, one count of careless use and storage of a firearm and possession of a prohibited and/or restricted firearm. Augustus, Capp and Goodhand each face additional charges of possession of a prohibited firearm.
The charges against Jahura were later stayed.
The search, seizure and arrests come as a result of a joint investigation that spanned more than a month.
“The amount of illegal materials our GIS unit captured during this investigation is significant,” said Supt. Gerald Grobmeier of Red Deer RCMP.
“It is important to note that this investigation would not have been as successful without the seamless collaboration between our GIS department and the RCMP detachments in Blackfalds and Sylvan Lake. We are showing drug traffickers that the Red Deer RCMP along with its partners in Central Alberta will continue to work in collaboration to mitigate illegal activity.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jay Rosove.
