Pair arrested for cocaine possession, trafficking in Sheshatshiu days before leaders declare drug crisis
Community members have blocked off access to town this week to stop the flow of drugs
Police said Thursday officers arrested two people for possession of cocaine in Sheshatshiu on March 21, three days before Innu leaders barricaded entrances to the town in effort to prevent the flow of drugs into the community.
In a news release, the RCMP says officers arrested the pair at a traffic stop and found "a quantity of suspected crack cocaine, cash and other items consistent with possession for the purpose of trafficking" inside the vehicle.
Both suspects are set to appear in court on charges of possession of cocaine and possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine. They were released from custody, according to the release.
The release comes a day after media widely reported on community efforts to install checkpoints at both entrances to Sheshatshiu. The order from Sheshatshiu leaders also granted community safety officers the power to deny incoming people entry.
WATCH | The CBC's Regan Burden reports on the latest in Sheshatshiu:
On Wednesday afternoon, the RCMP said officers in Sheshatshiu had accompanied community safety officers the day before, as they worked to evict some people who are banned from the community. The RCMP statement said two people left, one person refused to leave, and there was no response at other homes they visited.
Residents told CBC News earlier this week that the town is in the middle of a drug crisis, and dozens of residents have attended meetings to discuss a course of action to address it.
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