Post office drug searches yield big haul for police

Police forces and Canada Post inspectors from Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba seized large quantities of contraband drugs and liquor this past week, following four days of “inspections” at Canada Post sorting centres in Montreal and Winnipeg.

The law enforcement agencies targeted parcels destined for communities in Nunavik, Nunavut and northern Manitoba, an RCMP news release said April 18.

In their search of parcels bound for Nunavut, police found quantities of marijuana, cannabis resin, cocaine and illegal liquor, with a potential street value they estimate at around $300,000.

“It is believed that the majority of drugs and liquor seized were destined for resale within each of the respective communities of Nunavut,” the news release said.

In the parcels bound for Nunavik, police seized prescription pills, crack cocaine, illegal liquor, marijuana and hash, with an estimated re-sale value of about $350,000.

In parcels bound for northern Manitoba, police found hundreds of prescription pills, illegal liquor, crack cocaine and marijuana. The RCMP did not place a resale value on the Manitoba seizures.

The operation included postal inspectors, RCMP members based in Iqaluit, Winnipeg, Ottawa and the province of Quebec, as well as members of the Sûreté du Québec and the Kativik Regional Police Force.

Canada Post inspectors and police made the seizures between April 11 and April 15.