23 people charged, 4 wanted for trafficking drugs in northern Manitoba

Manitoba RCMP have charged 23 people, and four are wanted in connection with a drug trafficking network that was reportedly operating on the Bunibonibee Cree Nation.

Mounties launched an investigation in June after several violent incidents in the community, which included an arson that destroyed the community’s band office.

Through their investigation, RCMP learned that a criminal organization was arranging the shipment, processing, packaging, and transportation of drugs into Bunibonibee Cree Nation. Those drugs included cocaine, oxycodone, fentanyl and carfentanil.

It is also believed that the criminal organization was then distributing the drugs to local traffickers, while handling collection and payments, enforcement and the storage and dissemination of weapons.

Mounties also learned that some buyers purchasing oxycodone pills were instead given fentanyl, a more powerful and deadly drug.

“RCMP officers have worked tirelessly over the past six months to identify and dismantle a criminal organization that worked to fuel the drug trade and intimidate the community,” said Assistant Commissioner Scott McMurchy, commanding officer of Manitoba RCMP. “That work remains ongoing as part of our commitment to protect the safety and security of the communities we serve.”

Additionally, it is believed that float planes were also being used to fly large quantities of alcohol into the community to bootleg to residents.

Over the course of the investigation, police have been able to seize nine firearms, approximately two kilograms of cocaine packaged for sale, and hundreds of oxycodone and fentanyl pills, a small amount of carfentanil, and hundreds of liquor bottles.

So far, Mounties have laid 51 charges against 27 people in connection with the investigation. 18 of those individuals live on the Bunibonibee Cree Nation, while the others live in either Winnipeg or Thompson.

Despite this, only 23 of the suspects have been taken into custody, one of whom has been released. Four more people are wanted.

“The suspected leader of this criminal network was arrested last month. He was charged with criminal organization and drug trafficking related charges,” said Supt. Jeff Asmundson, with the Manitoba Integrated Law Enforcement Team.

RCMP say Luke Grieves, who is the suspected leader of the criminal network, was taken into custody at Milner Ridge Correctional Centre and charged with conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance, trafficking a controlled substance, and has been charged with criminal organization-related offences.

Sixteen people have been charged with conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance and trafficking a controlled substance. An additional nine suspects were charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Mounties note that more charges are to be expected.

“The investigation has had a noticeable impact on public safety in the past six weeks, following a series of arrests made on the Bunibonibee Cree Nation in November. Calls for service to Oxford House RCMP were nearly halved in November from the previous month. For the first week of December, Oxford House RCMP saw a 67 per cent reduction in calls for service from the same time last year,” said RCMP in a statement.

-With files from Koby Mitchell