Street-level drug trafficking crackdown in Lethbridge results in more than two dozen arrests

Lethbridge police and partners Alberta Sheriffs and ALERT ran an operation cracking down on street-level drug trafficking in April and May. (FILE PHOTO)

Over six weeks, police in Lethbridge arrested 26 people and laid 156 charges in a crackdown on street-level drug trafficking.

Lethbridge police and partners Alberta Sheriffs and ALERT ran the operation in April and May.

“With a significant increase in public drug use, trafficking and related criminal activities such as break-ins and vehicle thefts, police worked to target street- and mid-level dealers in an effort to disrupt the distribution of drugs and reduce crime and social disorder,” Lethbridge police said in a release on Thursday.

Highlights of the operation include:

• 26 arrests made;
• 156 Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act charges laid;
• Nearly 12,000 street doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine seized;
• Smaller quantities of narcotic pills, psilocybin and MDMA seized; and
• A firearm, seven vehicles and nearly $17,000 in cash proceeds of crime seized.

Police encourage anyone who sees criminal or suspicious activity to call them at 403-328-4444.

In Lethbridge, that information is used to fuel CompStat, “a data-driven model where analytics are used to identify high-crime areas, prolific offenders and the most effective deployment of police resources.”

More operations are planned for 2025.