Seven arrested in illicit drug and cash seizure

by

Tanner Wallace-Scribner

Three provinces, sixty judicial authorizations, and a 20-month investigation have led to seven people getting arrested for numerous illicit drug offences.

In October of 2020, the Saskatchewan RCMP began an investigation into a crime group distributing large quantities of drugs to numerous communities across Alberta and Saskatchewan. 

The Saskatchewan communities affected included larger centers such as Regina, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw and several smaller communities in rural Saskatchewan like Assiniboia, Marquis, Mossbank, Caronport, Hudson Bay, Limerick, Craven and Lloydminster. 

As part of the investigation, over 7,000 hours of surveillance were conducted in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan; over sixty judicial authorizations were executed, seven individuals were criminally charged, and a significant amount of illicit drugs and currency was seized. 

These seizures included:

  • 397.5 grams of cocaine and 2.97 kilograms of methamphetamine near Chamberlain
  • 452.7 grams of cocaine in Fort McMurray
  • 1,540 grams of Meclonazepam (approximately 5,000 fake Xanax pills) in Edmonton
  • A subsequent search warrant was executed at another location in Edmonton. Investigators found an additional 7,662.21 grams of Meclonazepam (approximately 25,000 fake Xanax pills), 40.01 grams of cocaine, and 659.49 grams of psilocybin (mushrooms), 39.54 grams of MDMA and $123,652 in Canadian currency.

Police have laid 70 criminal charges in relation to this investigation, including conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance, trafficking in a controlled substance and property obtained by crime.

The seven accused include five from Alberta and one from Ontario, who are all set to make their first court appearances in Provincial Court in Regina on June 21.

Police continue to look for 48-year-old-Michael Bagan of Edmonton in relation to this ongoing investigation. 

The latest description that police have of Bagan is as follows: he is 6’1” tall, approximately 216 lbs, with blue eyes and brown hair. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Michael Bagan is asked to contact their local police service, RCMP Detachment or the Saskatchewan RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by calling or online at Crime Stoppers.

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