Nunavik police seize drugs, make arrests at Kuujjuaq airport

The Kativik Regional Police Force seized three kilograms of marijuana at the Kuujjuaq airport last week, which led to the arrest of two men. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

Police in Nunavik arrested and charged two men in Kuujjuaq last week for allegedly trafficking marijuana into the region.

The Kativik Regional Police Force, working in collaboration with the RCMP and Sûreté du Québec provincial police, seized three kilograms of marijuana at the Kuujjuaq airport May 4, the KRPF said in a May 5 release.

Later the same day, KRPF officers discovered another two kilograms of marijuana at another location in Kuujjuaq.

The seizures led to the arrest of two men who both face charges drug possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Manuel Côté and Raphael Tremblay were both detained in Kuujjuaq until they can be transferred to the detention centre in Amos, where they are set to appear at a bail hearing, the KRPF said this week.

Both men are residents of southern Quebec, but were employed in Nunavik.

Police peg the overall value of the marijuana seizure at $230,000. The street value of marijuana in Nunavik is estimated to be about $40 per gram compared to about $10 per gram in southern Canada.

The arrests come as the federal government has tabled legislation to legalize marijuana for adult Canadians by 2018.

Legislation written into Bill C-45 and Bill C-46 proposes rules for the production, distribution and possession of marijuana, which would permit Canadians to possess up to 30 grams of legal dried cannabis at any one time.

The KRPF still encourages Nunavimmiut to report on any drug-related activities in their communities by calling 1-800-711-1800. The force pays rewards of up to $2,000 for information.