SANDY LAKE, ON – Members of the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) arrested three suspects and seized a substantial amount of cash and cocaine following a search warrant execution at a Sandy Lake First Nation home on Friday, June 21.
Details of the Operation
NAPS’s Intelligence Unit, Emergency Response Team, and front-line officers from the Sandy Lake detachment executed the search warrant at a residential address. This warrant was issued as part of an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking activities originating from the residence.
Upon entering the home, officers seized cash estimated to be less than $15,000 CAD, a quantity of suspected cocaine, and drug trafficking paraphernalia. The cash is believed to be proceeds from drug trafficking.
Charges and Suspects
Following the search, three suspects were identified and taken into custody. All suspects are residents of Sandy Lake First Nation:
- 24-year-old female:
- Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, s. 5(2))
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000 (Criminal Code, s. 354(1)(a))
- 20-year-old female:
- Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, s. 5(2))
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000 (Criminal Code, s. 354(1)(a))
- 22-year-old female:
- Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, s. 5(2))
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000 (Criminal Code, s. 354(1)(a))
Legal Implications
The charge of Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking under section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act carries severe penalties, including up to life imprisonment. The charge of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000 under section 354(1)(a) of the Criminal Code can result in imprisonment for up to 10 years.
Next Steps
All three suspects have been released under specific conditions and are scheduled to appear in court at a future date. Their names are being withheld until the charges are formally sworn in court.
Community Appeal
Anyone with information about illegal drug activities is urged to contact the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service or provide tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers. If you want to see your community have healthier youth with better futures, drugs and alcohol and the dealers who spread the poisons across the communities are stopping that from happening. Reporting them is not being a “rat” it is saving the lives of the youth. If “Every Child Matters” then it is up to each of you to assist in ridding your community from the clutches of addiction and drugs.
