Three residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as one man from Ontario, have been arrested following a year-long investigation into drug trafficking in Central Newfoundland.
The RCMP called a news conference in Gander today to provide details on ‘Project Bootstrap,’ an ongoing investigation into organized crime involving interprovincial drug trafficking.
The investigation has significantly disrupted a drug trafficking network with cocaine flowing directly from Ontario to Central Newfoundland—specifically the Hare Bay and Dover area.
Police seized 3.5 kilograms of cocaine last September following a traffic stop in Dover, with an estimated street value of $1.4-million.
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September 24, 2020 – Police Seize $1.4-Million Worth of Cocaine in Central
Following that incident, a number of RCMP detachments in the Central region conducted three search warrants: one at a home in Templeman, one in Dover, and the other in Keswick, Ontario.
Project Bootstrap also resulted in the seizure of prescription pills believed to have been illegally obtained, a small quantity of cocaine, over $110,000 cash believed to be the proceeds of crime, a vehicle, financial documents, and numerous electronic devices.
Four people have been charged with conspiracy to traffick a controlled substance:
- 46-year-old Steven Thomas Armstrong of Newmarket, Ontario;
- 45-year-old Deon Wilson lee Rodgers of Templeman, NL;
- 60-year-old Edmund Dorman Pickett of Hare Bay, NL; and
- 62-year-old Meryl Pickett of Templeman, NL, who has also been charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking
All four are set to appear in Gander Provincial Court on May 11, 2021.
Police say the investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are anticipated.