1.3 kilos of cocaine destined for NWT seized in High Level

Police say they seized over a kilogram of cocaine in a High Level traffic stop on February 19 – drugs RCMP believe were destined for the NWT.

In a news release on Wednesday, police wrote: “The cocaine seized in this traffic stop represents potentially 13,000 average doses of cocaine.

“It is believed that these drugs were destined for towns throughout the Northwest Territories, including Yellowknife and Hay River.”

Police said they had also seized drug paraphernalia and packaging and one ounce of khat, which is a controlled substance in Canada. A shrub grown in the horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula, khat is a stimulant that produces a euphoric high.

An RCMP handout photo of cocaine, khat, and drug paraphernalia seized in a High Level traffic stop.

Twenty-three-year-old Ahmed Abdi Maalin of Brooks, Alberta, and 64-year-old Abdiraham Mohamud Mohamed of Yellowknife were charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Both Maalin and Mohamed were released. They are due to appear in High Level Provincial Court on April 6.