CALGARY -- Calgary police and Drumheller RCMP teamed up to stop a suspected drug trafficker last month and seized an estimated $10 million worth of cocaine and methamphetamine, which they say is one of the largest busts in the last 20 years.
Police received a tip in November 2019 that a Calgary resident may be involved in the transportation of drugs across the country, so an investigation was launched by members of the Gang Enforcement Team using covert methods.
On Jan. 30, a suspect was stopped in his vehicle near Dorothy, a hamlet just outside Drumheller in southern Alberta, and taken into custody.
During a search of the vehicle, police seized a number of items, including:
- 46.9 kg of cocaine in uncut brick form with a wholesale value estimated by police at $2.4 million and a street value estimated $4.69 million
- 47.5 kg of crystal methamphetamine with a wholesale value estimated by police at $2.38 million and a street value estimated at $4.75 million
Jacob Cody Neumann, 33, of Calgary, is charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
He is scheduled to appear in court next on Feb. 7.
"Drug traffickers be warned — police agencies from across this country are working together to identify, locate and arrest those who traffic in illicit substances causing significant harm to our communities," said CPS Staff Sgt. Kyle Grant.
"Drugs fuel violent crime and investigations such as this address both the drugs and the associated violence. We are committed to working with our policing partners to address enforcement, and with our community partners to support prevention and intervention initiatives for vulnerable Calgarians."
Grant called the bust "one of the largest seizures" involving Calgary police in the last 20 years.
"Typically we don't see seizeures of this size, even though we know people are trafficking in large amounts," he said.
Police believe the shipment of drugs came from Ontario, said Grant, and was destined for Alberta. It was hidden in a number of bags in the back of a pickup when discovered by police.
Criminologists say the massive drug seizure is a step forward in the police’s fight against drugs in Calgary, but it’s only a small piece in a larger puzzle.
“We’ve gotta tackle the gang problem, we’ve gotta tackle the gun problem, we’ve gotta tackle the drug problem,” said Doug King with Mount Royal University’s justice program.
“We also need to recognize that it’s all interconnected and going after just one piece of it might get some good press, but it won’t solve the problem.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
