Drugs fuelling robberies for quick cash in Winnipeg: police
CBC News | Posted: August 22, 2017 7:12 PM | Last Updated: August 22, 2017
Winnipeg police made 5 separate arrests for drug-related crimes on Monday alone
A man who went for a smoke Monday morning inside the entrance of a building ended up being nabbed by Winnipeg police for possessing methampetamine, stolen property and break-in tools, as well as for breaking a city smoking bylaw.
It was one of five separate arrests made Monday that show drug users are looking for a quick way to make cash, police say.
Const. Rob Carver highlighted four other drug-related arrests, all of which happened Monday, with reporters on Tuesday.
One of those cases involved a man reportedly attempting to steal bicycles in an area around the 100 block of Marion Street. Police arrested a 29-year-old who was found with break-in tools and methamphetamine.
'Day in and day out'
In another case, a 21-year-old man was arrested and charged with 19 drug and weapons offences after officers pulled the man over for driving erratically and without a licence plate.
During the stop, officers found drug paraphernalia and three large knives, Carver said.
Another man was found with fentanyl and a weapon after being stopped while pushing a motorcycle in the area of Logan Avenue and Keewatin Street on Monday.
The arrests are no surprise to police who say drug possession is fuelling a need for quick cash that often comes from property crime, according to Carver.
"This is the kind of thing they see day in and day out," he said.