The new year always comes with best-of list’s and one that Grande Prairie appeared twice on was ALERT Alberta’s top 10 headlines of 2017. ALERT works with over 300 municipal police and RCMP forces to investigate everything from drug trafficking, child exploitation to gang violence.
A July investigation that involved teams from around region led to trafficking charges against three people. ALERT Grande Prairie’s organized crime and gang team, ALERT Edmonton and the Peace Regional General Investigation Section, along with the assistance of Peace Regional and Fairview RCMP all worked together to seize drugs, more than $4,000, drug paraphernalia and one firearm.
Then in September a near record setting bust took nearly a quarter million dollars’ worth of drugs off the street. Four homes were searched as a part of the investigation though ALERT said the majority of the items were found in a home in the Riverstone area.
The largest seizure since 2014 netted 1.3 kilograms of powder and crack cocaine, 573 grams of meth, 1,476 fentanyl pills, and roughly 20 grams of marijuana. They also found a Mercedes-Benz SUV and almost $2,000 cash. The vehicle and money will be handed over to the province’s civil forfeiture office.
Other notable investigations that made the list included a record setting seizure of more than $4 million worth of drugs in Calgary and the arrest of some “Outlaw Bikers” in Fort McMurray.