Police have made what they believe is the largest seizure of uncut cocaine in the city’s history.
An estimated $1 million worth of cocaine and Oxycodone pills were seized following the search of a Thunder Bay home Tuesday evening.
Thunder Bay Police Service acting Det. Insp. Don Lewis said drug enforcement officers began an investigation into a 28-year-old local man believed to be involved in the trafficking of cocaine in the city in November 2012.
Police say on April 9, 2013, drug officers assisted by members of the guns and gangs unit searched a building in the 200 block of Miles Street.
Investigators found a large quantity of cocaine and Oxycodone pills.
That find allowed police to obtain two other search warrants for a Miles Street home and a East Francis Street home. Police searched those buildings on early Wednesday morning.
Those two searches led to the seizure of about three kilograms of uncut cocaine, about 500 Oxycodone pills and about 50 grams of marijuana.
The potential street value of all the drugs seized is believed to be nearly $1 million.
Police also seized $21,250 in Canadian currency.
Ryan Wilson Christianson, 28, faces charges of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of Oxycodone for the purpose of trafficking, possession of marijuana and possessing proceeds of crime.
Lewis said it is the biggest uncut cocaine bust the Thunder Bay Police Service can remember.
“It’ll put what we hope is a fairly significant dent in the drugs being trafficked in Thunder Bay and the region and hopefully curb that for at least a little while,” he said.
The suspect has been remanded into custody and was scheduled to appear in a Thunder Bay courtroom Thursday.
