Two people have been arrested and charged after an Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) executed search warrants in Drumheller and Red Deer on Thursday, May 20.
There was a heavy police presence in Drumheller last Thursday, as members of the ALERT team, which included RCMP Patrols and General Investigation Section, Calgary City Police (CPS) and a canine unit swooped in on three Drumheller properties and one in Red Deer. The investigation also included searching several vehicles.
The team seized approximately $50,000 in drugs, which included 380 grams of methamphetamine, 95 grams of fentanyl, and 41 grams of cocaine, as well as a handgun.
Communications director for ALERT, Mike Tucker, explained their investigation began shortly after the overdose deaths of three individuals in Drumheller.
“We directed some of our ALERT resources to Drumheller working with the detachment on intelligence sharing,” he said. “Our primary goal was to crack down on the opioid market. It was a relatively short-term investigation, but we are happy with the outcome of the case.”
“We can’t definitively say these suspects are linked to those overdoses in any way, but… understandably what type of impact those overdoses had, we wanted to go in and send a strong message to those who are selling fentanyl that this type of behaviour isn’t tolerated.
Scott Painter, 28, of Drumheller, was arrested in Red Deer. He faces several possession for the purposes of trafficking charges, possession of the proceeds of crime, failing to comply with conditions, and six firearm charges.
Angela Orr, 38, of Drumheller, was arrested in Drumheller. She faces multiple charges of possession for the purposes of trafficking, possession of the proceeds of crimes, and unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon.
ALERT was established in 2006 by the Alberta government to combat organized and serious crime, where more than 300 municipal and RCMP officers work together.
“ALERT’s goals are really to disrupt and dismantle organized crime, and certainly the opioid market is closely linked with that,” said Tucker.
*story was updated to reflect that Orr was arrested in Drumheller.
