Four charged, $50K in drugs seized in Moose Factory raid

Northern Ont. Indigenous diversion pilot success A northern Ont. police pilot program to divert Indigenous People away from the criminal justice system is expanding and becoming permanent.

Drug raids on two homes on the James Bay Coast over the weekend resulted in four people from northern Ontario being charged and more than $50,000 in narcotics, including fentanyl, being seized.

Officers with Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) intelligence unit searched two homes in Moose Factory First Nation on Saturday and Sunday as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, the Indigenous police service said in a news release Monday.

"As a result of the first search, police located and seized a quantity of suspected fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, Oxycontin, cash, and paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking," police said.

"Two suspects linked to this investigation were arrested without incident."

In addition to the suspected fentanyl found at the second home, police seized cocaine, Lorazepam pills, morphine capsules, codeine and items related to drug trafficking.

Officers also found two firearms and a prohibited non-firearm weapon at the second location.

Two additional suspects were arrested without incident in connection to the investigation.

The estimated total street value of the drugs seized is more than $50,000.

Two women and two men are charged with drug trafficking in connection to the case.

The youngest suspect, an 18-year-old woman from Moose Factory is facing 10 charges total including careless storage of a firearm and three counts of unauthorized possession of a weapon.

A 24-year-old Cochrane man is also facing the same list of charges, including drug trafficking of six different substances.

The other two suspects, a 40-year-old local man and a 32-year-old woman from Moosonee, are each charged with three counts of drug trafficking and having property obtained by crime.

"All accused in this matter have been released with conditions and future court appearance dates," police said.

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