The Estevan Police Service (EPS) has seized $25,000 from a safety deposit box in the latest development associated with a drug bust earlier this month.
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur announced at the August 11 meeting of the Estevan Board of Police Commissioners that they executed a search warrant on the deposit box the previous day. It stemmed from the two search warrants they executed on August 1, which led to charges for three people.
The deposit box belonged to one of the men charged.
Police believe the $25,000 represents the proceeds of crime from drug trafficking activities.
“In this case, it was excellent work by our drug investigator,” Ladouceur later told the Mercury. “They realized one of the individuals had a safety deposit box in town, and subsequently wrote a search warrant on that box, which was executed.”
The money could eventually be turned over to the provincial government.
“There are a number of different things that the money can be used towards,” Ladouceur said. “One of them is to assist the victims of crime, so it goes right back into helping the system.”
Police agencies can also apply for funding and grants for specific programs that are in place to reduce crime and victimization.
During the search warrants executed on August 1, the EPS drug unit and containment warrant entry team, along with the Southeast Regional Traffic Services and the RCMP Integrated Organized Crime unit, seized approximately one kilogram of cocaine valued at around $180,000, and a quantity of oxycodone and a marijuana derivative known as "shatter."
Sean Boscoe, 25, Damion Gordon, 22 and Raphael Escobar, 24, face numerous charges, including possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime. Boscoe is also charged with failing to comply with conditions of a recognizance, while Gordon is also charged with breaching his probation.
Approximately $40,000 in cash was also seized at the time.
Two more men and one woman were arrested, but were found to not be involved, and were released.
Ladouceur said he couldn't reveal which suspect owned the deposit box, as the investigation is ongoing. He said details will be announced at a later date.
