Drug Offence Gets Major Response from RCMP
After receiving numerous complaints from neighbours, a home in Markerville was raided by more than 100 officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, resulting in the peaceful arrest of four individuals.
Though safety concerns were cited as a justification for the large-scale endeavor, no shots were fired nor was any other violence or resistance experienced during what turned out to be a relatively low-level drug bust.
Drug-related crimes remain some of the most common in the Greater Calgary Area, including in the small hamlet of Markerville located about 140km from the Calgary city center. The RCMP was tipped off to possible trafficking, however it is unclear that the evidence obtained in this raid supports those accusations.
Two of the four adults arrested were released the same day without any charges, though a variety of charges have been laid against the other two adults found in the Makerville home.
Two other homes were also raided at the same time in connection with the Markerville investigation, with electronic devices allegedly related to drug and weapon trafficking operations seized for further inspection.
No violent crimes appear to be suspected by the RCMP, nor have any of the individuals arrested in these raids been charged with any such offences.
Whether or not the major expenditure of RCMP officers and other resources was justified by the level of alleged criminal activity occurring remains to be seen, and is already an issue of debate amongst legal professionals and Calgary-area taxpayers.