Multi-home drug bust nets millions in meth, cocaine: Winnipeg police

A multi-home drug bust resulted in a significant seizure of cocaine and methamphetamine in Winnipeg.

A man is facing a slew of charges after a multi-home drug bust turned up millions of dollars in drugs and cash.

The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said the ‘significant seizure’ is the result of a months-long investigation launched in April based on a tip to the organized crime unit.

WPS Insp. Josh Ewatski said investigators first zeroed in on a suspect and three addresses of interest.

According to police, the man attempted to ship a kilogram of cocaine through the mail to an address outside of Canada, which was seized by the organized crime unit.

The suspect was then arrested in May while leaving a home in the 100 block of La Verendrye Street. Police then searched that home, as well as one in the 100 block of Noble Avenue and the 200 block of Mapleglen Drive.

These searches turned up 43 kilograms of methamphetamine, nearly 2,000 grams of cocaine, $150,000 in Canadian currency, scales, a vacuum sealer, packaging material and other drug-related paraphernalia.

The meth seizure amounts to about 430,000 individual doses with a street value of over $2 million, Insp. Ewatski said.

A 49-year-old man previously known to police is charged with a number of drug-related offences.

He was released on an undertaking.

‘Drugs are still readily available in the city’

This is just the latest in a string of busts by the WPS, Ewatski said.

“Unfortunately, this is one of the larger seizures, but (one of) many that we’ve had so far this year,” he said at a news conference Tuesday.

“Obviously, drugs are still readily available in the city and the organized crime unit is putting a big dent in how much people who are using this stuff or who are selling can access.”

Ewatski said it appears the drugs were being made elsewhere. While he declined to say where they came from, he noted meth is typically made in the United States or Mexico.

While only one arrest has been made, Ewatski noted the investigation is ongoing.

“One can typically assume with an operation like this, there’s more than one person involved.

- With files from CTV’s Jamie Dowsett