A 46-year-old man is facing a swath of charges after a two-month joint police investigation came to a head Friday night in Altona.
After compiling intel from separate active investigations between Altona Police Service and Pembina Valley RCMP, Altona Police applied for, and was granted, a search warrant for the man's home on 2nd St. SW. However, he was arrested before the warrant was executed.
Once inside the home, police found a second a man, but he was later released without charges.
As a result of the bust, police seized multiple firearms including two short-barreled tactical shotguns, bull pup-style assault rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, along with about 300 grams of cocaine which police say is worth an estimated street value of $33,000, drug packaging material and over $10,000 in Canadian currency.
The first man is now facing multiple charges of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of a Prohibited Firearm, Possession of Cocaine for the Purposes of Trafficking, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Possession of Stolen Property.
Police expect to lay further weapon and drug-related charges as the investigation continues to unfold.
An example of regional cooperation
Meantime, Altona Police Chief Dan Defer noted this investigation once again shows how the region's different police services work together for the betterment of the entire region.
The bust involved members of the Altona Police Service, Regional Support Tactical Team, Winkler Police Dog Services and Winkler Police Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Team.