The Owen Sound Police Services Drug Enforcement Unit arrested and charged a 45-year-old Owen Sound resident following their most recent drug trafficking investigation.
The Owen Sound Police Services Drug Unit, Criminal Investigations Branch and Uniform Patrol Officers arrested the accused after initiating a traffic stop in the 1100 Block of 3rd Avenue East in Owen Sound on February 1st.
Police then proceeded to execute two residential search warrants as well as warrants on four motor vehicles, all of which were in Owen Sound. As a result, officers seized 127 grams of fentanyl, 33 grams of methamphetamine, as well as quantities of cocaine, heroin, oxycodone pills, $7,000 in cash and a taser device. The total street value of the seizure was almost $65,000.
The accused was already on a Release Order from the Ontario Court of Justice with bail conditions after being charged in July 2020 by the Owen Sound Police Service for Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Fentanyl. The accused now faces numerous additional charges, and they have been remanded into custody. Their next court appearance is scheduled for February 4th.
Owen Sound Police Service offered the following as part of the release:
"The amount of Fentanyl seized represents over 1,200 potentially lethal doses of the drug. The last Owen Sound victim to die from a suspected drug overdose (post mortem toxicology result have yet to confirm) was a 42-year-old female on January 16th, 2022. In 2021 consistent with the rest of the province, the city of Owen Sound experienced a substantial increase in suspected drug over dose fatalities with a total of 14 deaths. The largest contributor to opioid related deaths continues to be fentanyl."
The release goes on to state that "the opioid crisis provincially and locally continues. Community partners, including the Owen Sound Police have come together in collaboration, committed to this battle with the focus on drug harm reduction and the enforcement of those supplying. This investigation highlights another example of the Owen Sound Police Service commitment to investigate and arrest those responsible for trafficking poisonous drugs to, and profiting from, the most vulnerable members of our community."
