Anola man charged after trying to smuggle meth-filled balloon into prison: Manitoba RCMP
26-year-old repeatedly asked to be taken to different facility after arrest, Selkirk RCMP say
A 26-year-old man is in police custody and facing a drug trafficking charge after officers say he attempted to smuggle meth into a Manitoba prison after his arrest.
RCMP officers on patrol in Selkirk were flagged down by a driver at a business on Main Street around 3:25 a.m. Monday, police said in a Tuesday news release.
The man told police he had picked up a hitchhiker who had become disruptive and was refusing to leave his car.
Mounties spoke with the hitchhiker and found out he was wanted on a number of outstanding warrants, including a parole warrant.
After being arrested and taken to the Selkirk RCMP detachment, the man repeatedly pushed to be taken to a different facility, police said.
Officers suspected the man had ingested drugs and was attempting to smuggle them into a prison.
He was instead taken to hospital, where he eventually passed a balloon filled with 34 grams of methamphetamine, police said.
Officers have recently seen an increase in people turning themselves in specifically for the purpose of smuggling drugs into prison, Selkirk RCMP Staff Sgt. Kyle McFadyen said in the news release.
The 26-year-old man from Anola, Man., has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was remanded into custody.