An Edmonton man was arrested after police found 68 kilograms of cocaine and a loaded handgun while conducting a traffic stop near Hinton.
On Oct. 23, an RCMP officer with the Roving Traffic Unit conducted a traffic stop with a pickup truck on Highway 16 and made several observations that led him to suspect the lone male occupant was in possession of illegal drugs.
The driver was detained and a police dog was deployed around the exterior of the vehicle, providing a positive indication for the odour of a controlled substance.
This led to the driver’s arrest and a search of the vehicle, which yielded the 68 kilograms of cocaine and loaded handgun.
Ranjit Singh Sekhon, 36, has been charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, unsafe storage of a firearm and various possession charges related to the firearm.
Following court appearances, Sekhon has been remanded into custody until Nov. 21.
Hinton is approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Jasper.
