Cocaine and guns seized in Split Lake

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, lately there were three deadly beatings in just three days in the city, one of the incidents is already connected to meth use, two other cases are still under investigation. Opioid use continues to be a public-health crisis with just under 4,000 deaths across Canada in 2017 and over 3,000 in 2016.

Last Friday, January 11th police officers conducted a search of the residence in the northern Manitoba community and turned up 32 grams of cocaine, four shotguns, five rifles, two pellet guns, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia, including a hollowed-out soda can police say is believed to be used to transport drugs.

Two suspects were arrested and identified as a 55-year0old Baptiste Brightnose and a 20-year-old Bruce Brightnose of Split Lake. They are now facing multiple charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and multiple counts of careless use of a firearm.

Both suspects remain in police custody and the investigation continues, more details after the investigation is closed.

The same day Friday, January 11th police stopped a vehicle on Highway 17 east of Dryden, Ontario after the driver allegedly committed Highway Traffic Act offenses. Eight kilograms of cocaine, worth an approximate street value of $800,000, was seized and the driver arrested.

A 29-year-old Winnipeg man is facing drug charges after being pulled over by Ontario Provincial Police officers.

Seaton George, of Winnipeg, has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, among other drug-related charges.

Unfortunately meth and other drug trafficking is a rising problem in Manitoba and Canada overall, hopefully, police and local authorities will really concentrate on dedicating the funds and resolving this issue.

All of the recent statistics and police reports show that drugs of any kind are a big and constantly growing problem in Canada. Even though local police, provincial and government agencies put up a fight, work hard, dedicate a lot of manpower and recourses to fight the drug trafficking crime in our country, it is just not enough! Some big changes need to be done on a national level to change this and make our society safe for all of us, especially our children and young teenagers.