Sask. RCMP seize 50 kg of cocaine during traffic stop

RCMP say they seized approximately 50 kg of cocaine during a traffic stop outside of Maidstone, Sask., about 50 kilometres east of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

Police arrested a 31-year-old man from Surrey, B.C., at the scene. Cash was also seized from the vehicle, according to a Tuesday news release. 

The suspect is charged with one count of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, and one count of possession of property obtained by crime less than $5,000.

RCMP declined to provide an estimate of the value of the seized items.

The incident was part of a proactive police patrol in the area on Nov. 14, RCMP say. After the initial stop, a police dog was used to locate the illicit material.

"Traffic officers aren't just helping to ensure the safety of our roads – they are also dismantling criminal operations to help keep our communities safe, as well," Supt. Grant St. Germaine, the RCMP's officer in charge of traffic services, was quoted as saying in a police press release on Tuesday.

The suspect appeared in North Battleford provincial court on Nov. 15.