Judge hears how police tracked alleged dealers as people across Saskatoon died of overdoses

People were dying across Saskatoon of drug overdoses and police had littlemore than a phone number and the nickname of a dealer.

How officers got from there to raiding a townhouse in Briarwood and arresting three men is front and centre at a trial in provincial court.

Four people had taken fatal overdoses by the time police arrested Shervin Beeharry and Japmanjot Grewal that March weekend in 2018.

Their judge-alone trial on drug trafficking charges began Tuesday.

On Thursday, defence lawyers Brian Pfefferle and Eleanor Funk began cross-examining the officer who wrote a search warrant application.

It was used to raid the home where the men were arrested.

"This was a case where there was significant information that was not provided to the justice when they issued the warrant. That's certainly our position," Pfefferle said.

"In Canada we don't want people going to our doors and kicking them in just because we might live in an area close to something where something nefarious might happen."

• Legal jousting marks start of Saskatoon trial for men charged with selling fentanyl-laced cocaine

Drug trafficking allegations against a third co-accused have been withdrawn.

ShervinBeeharry, JapmanjotGrewal and AzamKabaniwere originally all charged with possession, trafficking and weapons charges. Two months ago, all three were also charged with manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death andcriminal negligence causing bodily harm.

On Friday, the drug charges against Kabani were withdrawn. He still faces manslaughter charges.

The withdrawal of those charges cleared the way for the trial for Beeharry and Grewal, which began Tuesday. The trial involves the trafficking and weapons charges, but not the manslaughter charge.

Manyof the details coming out in court this week were also heardat the bail hearings of the accused and cannot be published because of a publication ban.

What is knownfrom city police news releases at the timeis that over a 12-hour spanbetween March 10 and 11 officersused the dial-a-dope phone number and knowledge of a dealer named "Lil Joe" to raid a townhouse in the Briarwood neighbourhood.

In a news release, they alleged that "Shervin Beeharry was found attempting to flush cocaine, heroin and fentanyl."

The trial continues.