Drug trafficking problem is on a rise in Canada for the last couple of years. Winnipeg authorities started a full-scale investigation into city`s meth problem. As per Winnipeg Police, there is a spike in meth-related crime incidents, like property theft, residential break-ins, unreasonable anger towards each other (meth users) and other people around them, violent attacks, some ending up in lethal outcomes for victims.
Approximately 1 a.m. Tuesday, November 13th police officers noticed a driver near Portage Avenue and Edmonton Street, who appeared to be taking a photo of himself on a cell phone.
The vehicle got pulled over and during the conversation with a driver, one of the officers notices a bag of, what looked like meth, on the seat. Police seized 16.5 ounces of meth, 23.3 ounces of cocaine, 3 grams of heroin, 13.9 ounces of a cutting agent, 229 Xanax pills, two cell phones, a digital scale, and $2,285 in cash. The total value of the drugs seized was almost $65,000.
Randy Billy Bastien was taken into custody and faces a number of charges relating to drug possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Methamphetamine is a real problem in Canada, the majority of people involved are youth and older teenagers. There is a study conducted by Winnipeg Police department about how people on meth are no longer productive, so they have to find other ways to get money to fuel their addiction and get more drugs. People on meth turn to pity theft and other, more serious crimes. Bike theft, residential break-ins, garage theft is now a rising problem in the city.