Edmonton man charged in Alberta-Saskatchewan fentanyl bust

An Edmonton man is facing trafficking and firearms charges after police intercepted $50,000 worth of fentanyl and other drugs bound for Saskatchewan.

The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teamsrecently joined forces with the Combined Forces Special EnforcementUnit Saskatchewan to "stem the flow" of the deadly drug between the two provinces, ALERT said Thursday.

A month-long investigation focused on a 36-year-old Alberta man suspected of trafficking fentanylinto Saskatchewan.

"The teamwork and cooperation between our two agencies is a critical factor in getting this harmful drug off the street and disrupting the flow of fentanyl into Saskatchewan," RCMPStaff Sgt. Dave Knibbs told a news conference.

"By cutting off the supply offentanylinto Saskatchewan, this seizure will have a significant impact in that province. However, we are fully aware that organized crime will continue to find ways to exploit our communities' health and social well-being to make money from selling fentanyl."

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The man was arrested April 7after three search warrants were executed with help from Edmonton police.

At the same time, investigators intercepted a shipment of fentanyl bound for Regina. A courier vehicle was stopped in Lloydminster with the assistance of Lloydminster RCMP, ALERT said.

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In total, officers recovered 500 fentanyl pills, 20 grams of suspected fentanyl powder, 100 grams of fentanyl mixed with heroin anda shotgun with the serial number scraped off.

"It goes without saying that fentanyl continues to pose a significant public safety risk," Knibbs said. "This seizure reinforces the police warning that street drugs are often being cut with fentanyl. Anyone using street drugs is exposing themselves to the risk of a fentanyl overdose and could pay for that with their life.

The Edmonton man has been charged with three counts of trafficking a controlled substance, three counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purposes of trafficking, five firearms offences and five counts of breach of recognizance.

A 38-year-old woman has been charged with four firearms offences.

Knibbs said the pair were not part of a larger organized crime group.