The discovery of fentanyl during the recent arrest of three men in Stoughton leaves Estevan police Chief Paul Ladouceur concerned about the arrival of the opioid in the city.
The Saskatchewan RCMP executed two search warrants last week in the Stoughton area. One search warrant was in Stoughton, and the other was northeast of the town in the rural municipality of Tecumseh.
Three men were charged in connection with the incident. Dustin Rowlands, 24, and Randy Payton, 25, both of Stoughton, and James Thomas, 25, of Edmonton, are facing charges for firearms and fentanyl possession.
Payton is facing 27 charges, while Rowlands and Thomas are facing nine charges each. The charges are all related to possession of firearms and fentanyl.
Inspector Rob Thorarinson of the Saskatchewan Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) said they seized 10 firearms, along with a small amount of fentanyl.
The arrests followed a month-long investigation.
The three men made their first court appearance on Feb. 15 in Weyburn, and were back in court two days later in Regina.
Ladouceur said Saskatchewan is starting to see fentanyl trickle into communities, and he expects it will make its way to Estevan, just like other drugs have.
“We’re seeing it certainly in our surrounding areas now,” said Ladouceur.
He compared it to how marijuana, cocaine and crystal meth found their way into the city after they had been seen in bigger centres across Canada.
The EPS has received their shipments of naloxone, the nasal spray that is used for treating opioid overdoses such as fentanyl.
“We’re just working on the policy of how it’s going to be carried by our members and how it’s going to be administered by our members,” said Ladouceur. “I would expect within the next few weeks that we’ll be carrying that antidote.”
Ladouceur noted that members of the Estevan Police Service were involved in the investigation into the Stoughton incident, and members of the Drug Intelligence unit helped out with executing the search warrants. The EPS has access to officers from other police agencies during their larger investigations as well.
