ALERT seizes nearly two kilos of meth

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on November 18, 2021.

https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

Police say they have seized nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine and $100,000 in cash from a home in Medicine Hat.

That was the result of a search warrant on Nov. 5 after a two-month investigation that netted 1.9 kilograms of the narcotic, a variety of other drugs, a firearm and just more than $100,000 that police allege are the proceeds of drug trafficking.

Officials with Alberta’s ALERT crime unit and the Medicine Hat Police Service said Wednesday they expect to make further arrests.

On Wednesday, just one man is charged; 24-year-old Robert Pegoraro faces counts of possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking and firearms offences.

The seizure is believed to be the largest by volume of meth in Medicine Hat’s history. The street value of all drugs found, including amounts of cocaine and fentanyl, is considered to be about $134,000.

“Disrupting the meth trade has been a priority for ALERT over the past several years,” stated Insp. Sean Boser, of ALERT. “Together, with our partners in Medicine Hat Police and RCMP, we have taken significant quantities of meth off the street and arrested more than 100 suspected dealers since 2018.”

Meth is considered to spawn a considerable amount of related property and violent crime as users become erratic.

MHPS Insp. Brent Secondiak said it “also negatively impacts the overall health and safety of all citizens of Medicine Hat.”

“Police agencies are committed to working together to disrupt drug trafficking networks and keep the community safe,” he said.

The size of the seizure from the “South Flats home” is larger than the 1.7 kilograms of meth police confiscated in April 2020. Previously the MHPS seized just over one kilogram of meth on two separate occasions over the past four years.

It is not clear when Pegoraro will next appear in court.

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