Trafficking charges laid

ALERT Medicine Hat’s organized crime team has charged 10 in an investigation aimed to disrupt street-level drug sales in the city.

Their investigation targeted downtown street-level drug dealers who were allegedly involved in selling fentanyl to vulnerable people without fixed addresses.

“ALERT launched this investigation in late December 2023 to undermine the illicit supply that was targeting a vulnerable population and causing harm in our community,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Thorburn with ALERT Medicine Hat.

ALERT says the investigation culminated Jan. 31 after a hotel room was searched with the aid of local police.

“The hotel room was just being used by this kind of transient group to essentially stash the drugs,” said spokesperson Mike Tucker. “It’s part of their packaging and processing.”

The 10 suspects, who all were known to police, were arrested in the days following the raid at the hotel.

More than $40,000 worth of drugs were sized, including 134 grams of fentanyl, 204 grams of methamphetamine, 19 grams of cocaine as well as prescription pills and $4,000 cash.

“When you see 10 drug traffickers charged, it’s going to have an impact,” said Tucker. “It disrupts the flow of drugs finding their way on the street. Medicine Hat has been no stranger to the opioid crisis.

The suspects face a total of 48 criminal offences, and each individual has been charged with at least one drug trafficking charge. Police say they have seen the effects of fentanyl addictions first hand and continue to deal with the same suspects involved in trafficking the drug.

“In this case we had 10 dealers who are accused of supplying the vulnerable street population with this drug,” said Tucker.