Prince Albert police arrest 10 after month-long drug investigation

Prince Albert police say multiple arrests have been made following a month-long drug trafficking investigation. Jasmine Pelletier reports.

The Prince Albert Police Service has made multiple arrests following a month-long drug trafficking investigation.

“This is significant for the city of Prince Albert,” said Chief Patrick Nogier. “If you think about the impact that those drugs would have had in the coming months or days, significant.”

The police service arrested 10 individuals and seized two kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of methamphetamine, two handguns, air pistol and more than $70,000 in Canadian currency.

The investigation focused on 22-year-old Daylen Laliberte, who police suspected of trafficking drugs in the city.

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Search warrants were obtained for three residences in southwest Prince Albert as well as a hotel room and a vehicle, resulting in the seizures.

Police say tips from the public are important in trafficking investigations.

“We need to make sure that the community is comfortable in providing information,” said Nogier. “We will do what we can to ensure that there’s no retaliation and/or that there’s no concerns about making sure we take the proper steps to combat illegal activity.”

Laliberte and five other individuals are facing charges related to drug trafficking, including three youth under 18 years of age.

Insp. Craig Mushka said it’s troubling when youth are involved in a criminal capacity.

“Speculating in terms of why they’re involved, I think that’s a broader question, whether it’s, you know, the family dynamics, social dynamic, things of that nature.”

The investigation was conducted by the Crime Reduction Team with assistance from other units in the Prince Albert Police Service, the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team and the Saskatchewan RCMP.

Minister of Community Safety Michael Weger commended the team that conducted the investigation.

“These results show the impact these specialized teams are having on community safety, and what we’re seeing here today in Prince Albert,” said Weger. “We have real, measurable results that are making a difference in people’s lives.”

The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges may follow.