BEARSKIN LAKE — Police have laid a bevy of charges against four individuals after a pair of searches in Bearskin Lake First Nation Tuesday morning.
In a media release issued Thursday, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service said that their officers, along with those from Ontario Provincial Police and the Lac Seul Police Service’s canine unit, executed two search warrants in the remote community, located over 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay.
Police said the searches were part of an investigation into drug trafficking in the First Nation.
Officers seized eight firearms, brass knuckles, a quantity of suspected cocaine, nearly $10,000 in cash and other items that police said are consistent with drug trafficking, according to NAPS’s release.
A 32 year-old woman and a 54 year-old man each face eight counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm, and one count each of possession of cocaine with the purpose of trafficking, unauthorized possession of a weapon and possessing property obtained by crime.
A 44 year-old man and a 40 year-old woman each face one charge of unauthorized possession of a firearm and carelessly storing a firearm or weapon.
All of the accused, who police did not name due to the charges not yet being sworn before the courts, are from Bearskin Lake, police said.
NAPS added that all four have been released from custody with conditions and future court appearance dates.
Police are withholding the names of the accused as the charges have yet to be sworn in court.
