Whitecourt RCMP lay charges using new drug screening equipment

May 12, 2022
Whitecourt, Alberta

News release

On May 11, 2022, shortly before noon, Whitecourt RCMP conducted a traffic stop with a suspicious SUV parked on Sunset Boulevard. The male driver was found sleeping in the driver's seat and there was drug paraphernalia observed in the vehicle.

The male driver was detained while an impaired operation of a motor vehicle investigation ensued.

RCMP Traffic Services, consisting of an RCMP Drug Recognition Expert and Alberta Sheriffs, attended the scene to assist with the investigation. The Alberta Sheriffs were recently trained and equipped with the Drager Drugtest Approved Drug Screening Equipment (ADSE) device. This screening device has the capacity to test for illicit drugs using a roadside saliva sample. The male driver tested positive for cocaine on the ADSE device, which was administered by an Alberta Sheriff.

As a result, the driver was issued a 90-day licence suspension, a 30-day vehicle seizure, and violation tickets under both the Gaming Liquor and Cannabis Act and the Traffic Safety Act.

The Drager Drugtest ADSE device is the only approved device for roadside testing in Alberta. The device has the capacity to test for THC and Cocaine and provides invaluable support to law enforcement.

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Contact information

Alberta RCMP Media Relations
780-509-3970

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