Edmonton police charge couple with drug trafficking, firearms offences following 6-month investigation

Drugs and a gun seized by police as part of a months-long investigation. (Credit: Edmonton Police Service)

Edmonton police say they've cut off a pipeline supplying vulnerable people with illicit drugs including fentanyl following the arrest of a city couple.

Police on Wednesday arrested a 29-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman, both of Edmonton, who were charged with 43 firearm and drug-related offences.

The investigation into the pair's alleged trafficking of large quantities of drugs to the city's marginalized community started in February, when intelligence compelled the Edmonton Police Service to begin it.

"This was an excellent piece of police work undertaken over several months by various EPS units, including our Healthy Streets Operations Centre (HSOC) community safety teams and our drug expert and investigative team," Inspector Angie Kemp of the EPS crime suppression branch said. "This was a significant arrest, though there are others who continue to make a living by preying on those with addictions across our city, and not just in the inner-city."

Members of various police teams descended on three southside locations on Wednesday, including the suspects' home near 98 Street and 69 Avenue, a nearby gas station and a storage facility at 17 Street and 74 Avenue, and made the arrests.

The police search of the residence led to the discovery of several ounces of narcotics, a loaded stolen firearm, and materials associated with the production of fentanyl. Officers also found narcotics and cash in the suspects' vehicle. At the storage locker, police found large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, GHB and three more firearms.

The illicit drugs seized by police are estimated to have a street value of more than $90,000.