Two Lower Mainland men face a slew of drug trafficking and weapons charges in connection with a drone that allegedly flew drugs into a Manitoba prison in the middle of the night.
At about 3:20 a.m. on July 3, Mounties in Stonewall, Man. got reports a drone was flying above and into the Stony Mountain Institution, according to an RCMP news release.
A suspicious vehicle was also reported on a backroad near the prison, which is about 24 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
Police located and stopped the suspect vehicle, and an officer spotted a drone on the backseat.
The two men inside the vehicle were arrested.
Meantime, a search of the area where the drone had reportedly landed inside the prison turned up a package containing a quantity of methamphetamine and suspected fentanyl.
“SMI employees also reported to have seen a drone and had found a similar package the day before,” stated the release.
Burnaby resident Jalen Falk, 22, and Vancouver resident Shahram Tokhy, 20, were both charged with drug trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime, in relation to the incident.
But that wasn’t the end of the story, according to police.
Three days later, on July 6, Winnipeg police got a call from a Winnipeg Airbnb after the owner found guns and drugs inside the rental.
Officers responded and located firearms and “a large quantity of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs.”
“It was later determined that the Airbnb was being rented by the same two suspects (Shahram Tokhy, Jalen Falk) who never returned due to their recent incarceration,” stated the release.
The pair have now been charged with multiple firearm and drug trafficking offences in relation to that incident as well.
The investigation continues, according to police.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
Email cnaylor@burnabynow.com
