Police arrest 4 suspected of trafficking drugs
Two overdoses – one nearly fatal – prompt quick reaction
Waterloo Regional Police arrested four people in what they suspect was a drug house in Cambridge where heroin laced with fentanyl and crack cocaine were being sold.
Two people nearly overdosed on heroin laced with fentanyl Wednesday morning — one near death — and police believe the potent drug was purchased from a Crombie Street house in the area of Victoria Avenue and Grand Avenue South.
The drug overdoses were an hour apart from each other.
Staff Sgt. Paul Lobsinger said two men and two women, all from Cambridge, were arrested Wednesday and appeared in court on Thursday.
Lobsinger said the two people — a man and a woman — were at the Bridges shelter when police arrived.
Another person in the house administered naloxone to the man, a drug given to those who overdose on opioids, and then CPR was performed, he said.
“Early intervention probably saved his life. He did go VSA (vital signs absent),” Lobsinger said.
The woman also required medical attention, but didn’t need the naloxone to save her, police said.
Lobsinger said police released the address of the house because they were concerned others may have purchased drugs from people in the house.
“We had to act quickly,” he said. “It can be lethal.”
“We have no idea how many people had gone in and purchased drugs,” he said. “It was incumbent upon us to get out the public safety warning out.”
When police entered the house they found $3,500 worth of drugs, including 6.5 grams of heroin, 2.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 12.4 grams of crack cocaine, marijuana and prescription medications including 35 pills of methylphenidate.
Other items seized included cash, stolen bicycles and stolen credit cards.
Information related to children living in the house was referred to Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region.
Charged with multiple offences related to possession for the purpose of trafficking and breach probation are: John William Slade, 44, Chantale Dittrich, 34, Lizete Sousa, 31, and Gerrard Coleman?, 49.
Police say they are concerned that fentanyl, a highly potent opioid drug, may be circulating in the region. Some may be injecting fentanyl on its own or mixed with other drugs such as heroin or meth, police said.
Fentanyl overdoses have reached crisis levels in Western Canada and the northern United States.
The Brantford Police Service issued a warning on the dangers of opioid use on Thursday, following four overdoses within two hours in three separate incidents the day before.
Naloxone was administered in three of the cases. All four were taken to hospital and police warn without the quick response of paramedics, the overdoses could have been fatal.
“Illicit fentanyl and opioid use is quickly becoming a public safety emergency in Canada,” said Sgt. Rob Gillespie of the Brantford Police Street Crime Unit.