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'We had no idea it would be that much'

North central Alberta’s cocaine supply has been stemmed after an RCMP bust Feb. 8-9 that netted Slave Lake’s single largest drug seizure.
Slave Lake Seizure
RCMP netted Slave Lake’s single largest drug seizure Feb. 8-9, finding 622 grams of cocaine — about 1,200 doses — along with quantities of methamphetamine and heroin.

North central Alberta’s cocaine supply has been stemmed after an RCMP bust Feb. 8-9 that netted Slave Lake’s single largest drug seizure.

An RCMP press release states that in January, the Slave Lake RCMP detachment began a partnership with the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team, targeting drug trafficking in the Town of Slave Lake and surrounding areas.

The release states police seized 622 grams of cocaine — about 1,200 individual doses — along with quantities of methamphetamine and heroin.

“That quantity caught us off guard,” Slave Lake RCMP Staff Sgt. John Spaans said in an interview. “We knew we were going to get something, but we had no idea it would be that much.”

He said with such a large amount of drugs coming off of the streets, police are hoping this will impact the crime rate.

“We’re hoping this will have a ripple effect into outside crimes, or other types of crimes — say property crimes, persons crimes —  crimes that are related to the drug trade,” he said. “Historically, we’ll see people shoplifting or stealing from sheds to support a drug habit. Our hope is that those sorts of crimes will go down, because there’s been a restricted supply in drugs.”

Spaans also said he could not say if the drugs would have been destined for any other areas like Athabasca, Desmarais or High Prairie, but given the quantity he “wouldn’t put it past affecting outside communities.”

“Certainly, the quantity we seized in Slave Lake is significant enough where it could very well reach to outside communities,” he said.

The investigation

Spaans said the police have known for many years there is a drug problem in Slave Lake, and the local general investigative section reached out to the province’s ALERT team for assistance.

He said the group collaborated and compiled tips from the public and intelligence streams

“I wouldn’t say it played a large part, but tips from the public started years ago with drug trafficking in Slave Lake,” he said, adding that siphoning the tips eventually led them to the right place in early February.

“It just takes an effort to really weed through it all and find what’s useable, and get a project together that there’ll be enough to effect an arrest or bring it to a conviction,” he said.

Spaans noted that it just takes that right amount of information at the right time to lead to an arrest and conviction.

“There’s drug trafficking going on in every community,” he said. “All the stars have to align for it to all come to a conclusion.”

Spaans pointed out that nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine and an assortment of other drugs were seized Dec. 5 following a joint investigation by ALERT and Westlock RCMP.

“Certainly, any bust of the size that we had — or the one that Westlock had a couple months ago — that’s going to have effects,” he said. “We are the gateway to the north, and at some point if we stop that transmission of drugs moving north, it’s like a spiderweb. It’s going to disrupt a broader network.”

The “real work”

Spaans said “the real work” now starts with respect to the investigation and court work, but as well watching for new dealers.

“Lessons learned from previous projects at other detachments — whenever you remove a quantity from the street, a significant quantity from the street, that’s going to create a void,” he said. “Now the real work happens.”

He said they also have to keep tabs on the void and watch out for opportunistic criminals from other communities who might “move in and set up shop.”

“It’s a matter of keeping your thumb on the town and hearing the pulse of the community,” he said. “You can’t let your foot off the accelerator, we say.”

The release said that on Feb. 8, the RCMP executed two search warrants at residence in the town with a third being executed Feb. 9.

So far, four people have been arrested and charged with trafficking a controlled substance.

Michael Proulx (29), Faith Proulx (26), Vanessa Gladue (34) and Mark Flierl (44) will appear in Slave Lake Provincial Court Feb. 20, March 13 and March 20.

Spaans said there are charges pending against other individuals alleged to have been involved in the trafficking of controlled substances.

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