More than $600K of drugs seized after illegal online dispensary shut down

An illegal online dispensary police said was operating out of Edmonton has been shut down, and over $600,000 worth of illegal drugs seized after an investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).

On June 4, ALERT members searched a home in west Edmonton that was allegedly associated to the website CannabisCanada.Today. According to ALERT, the website claimed to be an “online supplier of premium cannabis products.”

The total value of the drugs seized is estimated at $618,000, and included:

• 34 kilograms of dried, packaged cannabis;
•  2.73 kilograms of cannabis resin in one-gram packages;
• 1.7 kilograms of cocaine;
• 1.1 kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms;
• 616 grams of cannabis oil and concentrates;
• 42 packages of cannabis-infused candies; and
• 40 grams of cannabis isolate powder.

Police also said they found packaging and marketing material from the website as well as $50,000 in cash, proceeds of crime and two vehicles.

Kevin Melnychuk, 33, Jared Melnychuk, 33, and Cory Gibeau, 32, face multiple charges of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime.

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The three have been released from custody pending their next court appearance.

Police are warning anyone who may have purchased through the website that it is not a licensed cannabis producer, as per the Health Canada regulations.

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Police believe the website was operating for less than a year.