On Oct. 23, 2024, at approximately 9:30 p.m., an officer with the Alberta RCMP Traffic - Roving Traffic Unit, conducted a traffic stop with a pickup truck on Highway 16 near Hinton, Alberta. During the course of the traffic stop, the investigator made several observations that led him to be suspicious that the lone male occupant was in possession of illegal drugs. The driver was detained for a drug investigation, and a Police Service Dog was deployed around the exterior of the vehicle. The canine provided a positive indication around the vehicle for the odour of a controlled substance, leading to the driver's arrest, and subsequent search of his vehicle.
A total of 68 kilograms of cocaine, and a loaded handgun were seized from the vehicle.
A 36-year-old individual, a resident of Edmonton, has been charged with the following:
• Possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking
• Unsafe storage of a firearm
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
• Possess a firearm when knowing it possession is unauthorized
• Possess a prohibited weapon
• Possess a firearm in a motor vehicle
• Possess a restricted weapon without registration/licence
After a judicial interim release hearing, a subsequent court appearance, the individual has been remanded into custody until Nov. 21, 2024.