Prince Albert Police Inspector Craig Mushka shows the results of Project Norse. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Drug bust

Police seize vehicles, guns, over $300,000 worth of drugs and cash in drug bust

Jan 15, 2020 | 5:04 PM

A total of 11 people, with connections to outlaw motorcycle gangs, are facing charges following a lengthy seven-month police investigation.

In addition to several guns and six vehicles, over $300,000 worth of cash and drugs were seized.

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Prince Albert, RCMP Superintendant Ted Munro said he was proud of his team’s investigative work.

“The high volume of drugs that have been taken off the streets, and the criminal activity that has stopped as a result of this investigation, demonstrates the positive impact of the men and women who work hard to keep our community safe,” Munro said.

“I think this is certainly one of our bigger investigations into outlaw motorcycle gangs.” _{– Inspector Craig Mushka}

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The final seizure included 33 cannabis plants, over 9,000 grams of cannabis bud and 2,141 individually packaged cannabis byproducts. The investigation revealed the marijuana was being grown under a valid Health Canada medical licence and then was diverted onto the black market for re-sale.

Munro explained when cannabis is purchased illegally, there are many safety risks that come into play.

“Illegal cannabis growers have no governing agency guaranteeing quality which can lead to unsafe growing conditions, toxic pesticides, fertilizers, bacteria and the potential for tampering,” he said.

Police estimate the cocaine seized during the investigation amounted to 1,200 personal uses, while the cannabis bust could make an estimated 3,600 joints.

Over the course of the investigation, police determined that three full patch members of the FreeWheelers motorcycle gang were involved in the illegal trafficking of drugs in Prince Albert and the surrounding area.

Numerous other gang members with connections to Prince Albert and Saskatoon were determined to be working in conjunction with the FreeWheelers members to illegally distribute drugs around the community. Prince Albert Police Inspector Craig Mushka said prior to this bust, city police had limited exposure to outlaw motorcycle gang activity.

“I think this is certainly one of our bigger investigations into outlaw motocycle gangs and the results are significant,” he said.

Mushka added many of these types of gangs try to pass themselves off to the public as working for charity when the reality of their business behind the scenes is something entirely different.

9,279 grams of cannabis bud were seized as part of the investigation. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Nearly 100 law enforcement officers were involved in the investigation including members from the Prince Albert police service, Saskatoon police, and the RCMP. Mushka acknowledged the hard work of everyone involved.

“These partnerships between various law enforcement agencies are important and allow us to share resources and information and work together to target illegal activity,” he said.

The seizure of the drugs included needles, and vape cigarettes containing various amounts of cocaine and cannabis. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

The accused, who range in age from 19 to 50, face a combined 73 criminal charges.

Brody Markowski, 30, and Alexander Fietz, 28, each face 12 charges. Both are set to appear in court early next month.

—

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell.