Members of the Camrose Police Service (CPS) arrested three people after responding to the McDonald's for a suspected impaired driver call that turned into a bit more.
CPS received the call at about 9 a.m. on May 7. When officers arrived, they located a Porsche Cayenne with three occupants and a mismatched license plate.
Officers then saw a firearm in plain view in the vehicle, which was identified as a loaded compact 9mm pistol, classified as a prohibited firearm under Canadian law. The weapon also contained a prohibited magazine.
All three occupants were arrested at the scene. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of several illegal substances, including 129.6 grams of fentanyl, 85.3 grams of methamphetamine, and other controlled substances.
The estimated street value of the seized drugs was $15,600.
The three suspects - Kaitlyn Marlene Elliott, 30, Brandon Fordham, 30, and Ashley Schaeffer, 25 - have been jointly charged with over 50 offences.
All three accused adjourned their bail hearing and remain in custody.
According to CPS, two of the accused were previously released on bail for other serious criminal matters at the time of the incident.
CPS advises that fentanyl is an n extremely potent synthetic opioid. As little as 2 milligrams — roughly the size of a few grains of salt — can be fatal to the average person.
"The 129.6 grams of fentanyl seized in this incident represents a potentially lethal dose for thousands of people," the release states.
"Illicit fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs without the user's knowledge, dramatically increasing the risk of accidental overdose. Fentanyl-related deaths continue to be a significant public health crisis across Canada."
