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Photos: 11 charged as part of Operation Green Manalishi

11 people are facing charges in connection with Monday’s drug raids in Yellowknife, Ndilo and Dettah.

Following a targeted traffic stop outside Fort Providence on Monday afternoon, police executed search warrants at six separate residences as part of Project Green Manalishi.

A total of 14 people were arrested in what RCMP are calling one of the largest seizures the territory has seen in the past decade.

The investigation focused on the activities of Todd Dube of Yellowknife and a criminal network that worked underneath him to distribute drugs in the Yellowknife area.

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Inspector Matt Peggs
Insp. Matt Peggs, Yellowknife RCMP detachment commander.

On Wednesday, Cst. Elenore Sturko with Yellowknife RCMP told reporters investigative work and information-gathering began over a year ago.

In the past three weeks, police have intercepted two large shipments of illicit drugs en route to Yellowknife.

The first batch was seized during a targeted stop on March 18, when Marie-Anne Lafferty and Vitaline Lafferty were found to be in possession of marijuana, cocaine, liquid codeine and a substance believed to be MDMA.

On Monday, police executed a second traffic stop outside the community. This time, they seized another shipment of drugs from a vehicle that was being driven by Eddy Radeka.

The second checkstop triggered six separate search warrants on Monday, which police say resulted in one of the most significant drug seizures in the area in the last 10 years.

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DRUGS 1
RCMP superintendent Michael LeSage.

Altogether, officers confiscated 1,200 fentanyl pills, four kilograms of cocaine, over seven kilograms of marijuana, 11 litres of liquid codeine, 10 firearms, two vehicles, $75,000 cash and other high-end merchandise.

“Seeing the scope firsthand of the demand for illicit drugs in our communities should be a sobering moment for everybody,” said Yellowknife detachment commander Insp. Matt Peggs.

“Drug trafficking cannot exist where there is no demand. We must continue to work to extinguish the demand for these toxic substances.

“It would be our wish to see the demand eradicated but until that time we’ll continue to press on against drug trafficking as a priority for Yellowknife RCMP.”

More than 30 officers from across the territory were involved in Operation Green Manalishi.

RCMP superintendent Michael LeSage told reporters the drug network used a combination of taxis, street-level drug traffickers and stash locations to distribute drugs around Yellowknife.

“The ability to closely monitor this network provided incredible insight into the extent of the drug abuse in [Yellowknife],” he said.

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“It used well-organized and sophisticated communication strategies and delivery methods.”

Yellowknife RCMP have seized illicit fentanyl on a number of occasions in the last year. Its presence in the community has even prompted warnings from health officials in the territory.

Police announced the following charges as a result of Monday’s search warrants:

Todd Dube, 20, of Yellowknife
Conspiracy to commit trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana
Conspiracy to commit aggravated assault
Trafficking cocaine
Trafficking cocaine, marijuana and codeine
Trafficking cocaine, marijuana, codeine and fentanyl
Possession of property obtained by crime exceeding $5000

Brittany Dube, 23, of Yellowknife
Conspiracy to commit trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana

Byron Bibby, 22, of Yellowknife
Conspiracy to commit trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana

Luqman Hussein, 21, of Toronto, Ontario (remains at large)
Conspiracy to commit trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana

Yohannes Seyoume, 19, of Edmonton, Alberta
Conspiracy to commit trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana

Katrina Stiopu, 25, of Ndilo
Conspiracy to commit trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana
Trafficking cocaine, marijuana, codeine and fentanyl
Possession of property obtained by crime exceeding $5000

Ryley Moore, 20, of Hay River (remains at large)
Conspiracy to commit aggravated assault

Eddy Radeka, 53, of Burnaby, British Columbia
Trafficking cocaine, marijuana and codeine
Trafficking cocaine, marijuana, codeine and fentanyl

Sam Ovayuack, 26, of Yellowknife
Possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl
Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine

Vitaline Lafferty, 76, of Ndilo
Trafficking cocaine, marijuana and codeine

Marie-Anne Lafferty, 55, of Ndilo
Trafficking cocaine, marijuana and codeineIMG_0849 IMG_0851 IMG_0853

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