RCMP arrest 5 people in Whitehorse after 3-year drug trafficking investigation

Yukon RCMPsay they arrested five people in Whitehorse earlier this month as part of a three-year investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering.

After searching homes and a business, police said theyfound cocaine, methamphetamine, weapons, and $450,000 in cash. Officers also found vehicles and other items allegedlystolen from local businesses.

Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard said he arrests could have a "significant impact."

"When it comes to the drug problem, the opioid problem ... we're not going to arrest our way out of this, but this is part of a solution," Sheppard said Thursday.

He said the alleged crimes werenegatively affecting Yukon's vulnerable population, as well as the economy.

RCMP say the investigation, dubbed Project MUSKRAT, began in December 2017 and initially focused on drug trafficking.

YukonRCMP'sfederal investigation unit then partnered with theCanada Revenue Agency in August2019to investigate tax offences.

On Nov. 4, police say they searched four homes, a business on Main Street and a storage locker.

Three men and two womenbetween the ages of 29 and 39 were chargedwith various offences, including the possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, firearms offencesand money laundering.

The accused have all been released and will appear in court at a later date.

The people who were chargedwere "at the top" of the investigation, said Sheppard.

Some of the main people involved in the drug trafficking were business owners, saidSupt. Chan Daktari Dara.

Sheppard said Yukon's drug trade is "as alive and well here as it is in any other community across the country."

He said police are still in early stages of the investigation, and more arrests are possible.