Officers with the Alberta RCMP Traffic – Whitecourt Unit say two separate incidents on Highway 43 over the weekend of April 18 – 19 resulted in the arrest of seven people.
According to officials with the Alberta RCMP Traffic – Whitecourt Unit, at around 7:45 p.m., on Saturday, April 18, officers were performing roving patrols in Whitecourt when they observed a driver on Highway 43 not wearing a seatbelt. A roadside stop was conducted and officials say the Alberta RCMP Traffic Unit officer noted that the VIN did not match the registration and insurance documents. Officers say they determined that the vehicle had been stolen out of Didsbury in 2022.
Mounties say the driver was arrested and a search of the vehicle incidental to the arrest revealed the following items, valued at over $10,000, which were seized:
- 156 grams of suspected methamphetamine;
- 5 grams of suspected cocaine;
- 7 grams of suspected hash; and
- Break in tools.
As a result of the investigation, Police say Amanda Lee McVittie, 52, a resident of Calgary, was charged with:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (x2);
- Possession of stolen property over $5000;
- Possession of break in tools;
- Breach of undertaking; and
- Traffic Safety Act tickets (x4).
Officials say McVittie was released on conditions and is set to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Whitecourt on June 11, 2024.
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On Sunday, April 19, at 5:00 p.m., officers with the Alberta RCMP Traffic – Whitecourt Unit say they were performing speed enforcement on Highway 43 near Whitecourt when they observed a vehicle traveling at 146 km/h in a 110km/h zone. Police say members with the Alberta RCMP Traffic Unit conducted a roadside stop and observed the windows being rolled down, letting a cloud of cannabis-tinted smoke waft out, while hand rolled cigarettes were being thrown. Officers say they noted drugs within the vehicle, resulting in the arrest of six people.
Mounties say the vehicle was searched and the following items, valued at over $90,000, were seized:
- 2 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine;
- 8 grams of suspected cocaine;
- 2938 millilitres of codeine syrup;
- 78 bars of alprazolam; and
- A loaded prohibited handgun.
As a result of the investigation, Police say the following people were arrested:
Tommy Kayfay, 19, and Chino Guiawan, 21, both residents of Edmonton, as well as Bradley Mercredi, 32, and April Sayine, 33, both residents of Yellowknife, NT, were charged with:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (x4);
- Firearm-related offences (x5); and
- Transporting Cannabis/Alcohol within easy access of occupant (x2).
Gulied Ahmed Umar, 19, a resident of Edmonton, was charged with:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (x4);
- Firearm-related offences (x6);
- Transporting Cannabis/Alcohol within easy access of occupant (x2);
- Breach of release order (x2); and
- Provincial sanctions (Impaired driving and speeding).
Suleiman Mohamed Abdow, 28, a resident of Edmonton, was charged with:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking (x4);
- Firearm-related offences (x6);
- Transporting Cannabis/Alcohol within easy access of occupant (x2);
- Possession of an identity document not belonging to them;
- Obstruct police officer;
- Identity fraud; and
- Breach of release order.
Police say Abdow, Umar, Guiawan, Kayfay, Mercredi, and Sayine were brought before a Justice of the Peace. Officials say Abdow and Umar were remanded into custody, to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Whitecourt on Tuesday, May 14; while Guiawan, Kayfay, Mercredi, and Sayine were released on conditions, to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Whitecourt, also on Tuesday, May 14.
“The Alberta RCMP Traffic – Whitecourt Unit are always hard at work not only enforcing traffic-related laws but making sure that illegal goods transiting through the area are seized and that the people found with them are dealt with according to the applicable laws,” said Sgt. Greg Anderson, NCO i/c of the Alberta RCMP Traffic – Whitecourt Unit. “The Whitecourt unit provides Traffic Services such as community consultations, education and enforcement, to four detachment areas, including Whitecourt, Mayerthorpe, Fox Creek and Swan Hills. Although our mandate is to provide traffic-related services, the Alberta RCMP Traffic-Whitecourt Unit also provides back-up, support and assistance to these detachments as necessary.”