RCMP organized crime squad seizes over 36 kilos of drugs in Saskatoon

(Courtesy: Saskatchewan RCMP)

The RCMP’s federal serious and organized crime squad and local police seized a sizeable quantity of drugs from two homes and two vehicles in Saskatoon this month.

According to a Saskatchewan RCMP news release, police executed the search warrants in the area of Shillington Crescent and the Eastview neighbourhood in Saskatoon on Aug. 1.

The warrants were the product of an investigation involving several federal policing teams, including serious and organized crime squad, the pacific region federal policing team, and assistance from the Saskatoon integrated intelligence unit, the RCMP said.

“We know that the reach of illicit drugs impacts all corners of Canada and bring with it a host of other criminal activities and social issues to our communities,” Insp. Richard Pickering of the RCMP’s northwest region federal police said in a news release Tuesday.

“This is just one example of how multiple agencies can come together to jointly investigate safety threats impacting Canadians, remove dangerous drugs from our streets and bring those responsible to justice.”

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With the help of Saskatoon’s tactical unit and crisis negotiation team, police seized a total of 37 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and MDMA, plus over 1,000 Xanax pills, an undisclosed amount of magic mushrooms, and about $43,000 in cash.

Two men face trafficking-related charges in the bust — 39-year-old Edwin Covaci and 31-year-old Nicolas Franke. They’re scheduled to appear in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Sept. 19.

Saskatoon police supt. Dale Solie says partnerships with the RCMP help disrupt the supply chain of illicit drugs.

“While this seizure was made in Saskatoon, together with our federal policing partners, we share a common objective to prevent illicit drugs from flowing further into Saskatchewan communities and we’re proud to have supported that objective through this investigation.”