Drugs increasingly hard to track as Saskatchewan overdoses rise: RCMP | 24CA News
A member of the Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Team (SERT) says that whereas new provincial policing investments are beginning to present outcomes, policing the trafficking of illicit medication stays a problem in Saskatchewan.
“The problem with these drugs is they’re such a small quantity, but they’re so potent, that they can be easily transported into the province undetected,” RCMP Staff Sgt. Ryan How instructed Global News, calling medication like fentanyl “game-changers”.
“It’s getting harder and harder for police to actually interdict these drugs as they get into our communities. It’s always a constant battle trying to figure out how they’re doing it. They’re getting extremely creative with hidden compartments and all sorts of stuff to evade our detection.”
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How is a regional supervisor with SERT North.
He says illicit opioids have traditionally been trafficked into Saskatchewan from the west. But, because the extremely potent, extremely worthwhile medication improve in reputation with traffickers, RCMP are starting to see them come by way of different borders as properly
How says these medication are then making their technique to all components of the province, trafficked each by massive organized crime teams and smaller street-level gangs, additional difficult enforcement efforts.
“The larger quantities are attributed to organized crime,” he mentioned, highlighting the December arrest of Saskatchewan resident Kurt Miller during which 10.6 kg of fentanyl believed to be destined for the province was seized.
“But then there’s also the street-level gangs bringing in smaller quantities which are no less dangerous because they’re bringing in smaller quantities more frequently, and bringing them into more isolated communities. And we’re such a large province that it’s really tough for the police to be everywhere at all times.”
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Last week, in a preliminary report, Saskatchewan’s chief coroner projected that 2022 is probably going be one other document 12 months for overdose deaths within the province.
His report paperwork 204 confirmed and 217 suspected drug toxicity deaths, with fentanyl or one in all its analogs being detected within the majority of instances.
In 2021, a document 12 months for overdose deaths of its personal, the coroner has reported 401 confirmed and 9 suspected fatalities.
And, within the final three years, overdose deaths have been recorded in over 120 Saskatchewan communities.
Speaking final week, Chief Coroner Clive Weighill mentioned stopping extra deaths requires a multi-faceted resolution together with policing.
“This is a really tough situation to tackle. There’s so many different groups of people involved with drug overdoses,” Weighill mentioned.
“There’s many pieces to this. There’s enforcement, there’s health, there’s mental health, they all play a part to try and solve this.”
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In 2021 the federal government of Saskatchewan introduced plans to speculate $6.4 million yearly into the brand new Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT), a “specialized intelligence-led enforcement team dedicated to addressing illegal weapons, drugs and human trafficking.”
The 41-member RCMP-led crew turned operational final 12 months.
How mentioned whereas the unit, which operates below the umbrella of SERT, is in its infancy, he believes it’s beginning to produce outcomes.
It was concerned within the aforementioned arrest of Kurt Miller, How mentioned.
The Saskatchewan RCMP says STRT was additionally concerned within the latest arrest of two individuals in Swift Current which recovered fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.
“I’m very happy with the support we’ve got and how quick it’s come online. It was only October 2021 in the throne speech that this was announced,” How mentioned.
“I’m optimistic that there is some progress being made, but it’s going to take a an entire team approach of all of our partner agencies to get this to slow down because it is proliferating.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
