COLD LAKE - A call from the public about a suspicious vehicle led to the seizure of weapons and drugs, and 33 charges laid.
Cold Lake RCMP responded to a report about a minivan stuck in the ditch on Township Rd. 604 near Range Road 422 on April 15. The caller advised that the driver appeared to be sleeping.
Police located a male and female inside the vehicle and, when the the male driver woke up, an officer noticed he was holding a firearm in his lap.
RCMP seized a loaded 20-gauge tactical shotgun, concealed baseball bat, large hunting knife, and ammunition. They also found what's believed to be 22-grams of crystal meth, 4.6-grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and approximately $5,985.
“We appreciate tips from the public regarding suspicious activity or vehicles,” says Corporal Marie-Eve Mackenzie-Plante, Cold Lake General Investigative Section. “This one call resulted in 33 charges being laid and removed illicit drugs from our community.”
Both occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody without incident.
Luke White, 35 of St. Paul, was charged with 25 offences including operation of a motor vehicle while impaired, operation of a motor vehicle without authorization, possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and possession of a weapon contrary to a court order.
White was remanded into custody after a judicial hearing. He will appear in Cold Lake Provincial Court on June 26.
The female occupant of the vehicle, 27-year-old Tamara Whiskeyjack of Saddle Lake, was charged with eight offences including unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, possession for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Whiskeyjack was released following a judicial hearing and is also scheduled to be in Cold Lake court on June 26.
