A routine traffic stop on Highway 1, east of Calgary, led to the seizure of a large quantity of suspected gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a controlled substance sometimes referred to as a “date rape drug.”
Mounties say the stop was conducted at around 8:15 p.m. on April 22, by the Alberta RCMP Roving Traffic Unit.
During the interaction, officers observed indicators consistent with drug possession and initiated a roadside investigation. Police say approximately 250 litres of suspected GHB was located concealed inside the vehicle and seized.
RCMP say GHB is a central nervous system depressant that is sometimes misused as a recreational “club drug.”
They estimate the quantity seized could represent between 60,000 and 250,000 individual doses. The street value of the seized GHB is estimated to be between $300,000 and $750,000, depending on the market and location of distribution.
Investigators believe the substance was destined for major urban centres, including Toronto and Ottawa, and say the case is linked to an organized trafficking operation.
A 50-year-old Ontario resident was arrested and charged but was later released and is scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice on the Siksika Nation on June 11.